Title: The educational expectations and schooling behaviors of children from migrant households in Cape Verde
Description: The three independent but interrelated studies presented in this dissertation address the potential relationships between parental migration and the educational expectations and origin-country schooling behaviors of adolescents living in Cape Verde, West Africa. The dissertation draws upon original survey data collected from a sample of 1,541 students attending two secondary schools in areas of Cape Verde with high rates of out-migration to the U.S. and Europe. It also draws upon qualitative interviews with 64 adolescents (aged 14-19) and 10 teachers and administrators in Cape Verde. The first study is based on analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Although no significant association is found between parental migration and students' aspirations to earn a university degree, study findings suggest a negative association between parental migration during adolescence and students' educational expectations . Qualitative analysis provides insights into the mechanisms through which parent-child relationships -- prior to and during the period of migratory separation -- can shape student attitudes towards migration and schooling.

The second study, based on analysis of qualitative interview data, focuses on the relationship between schooling behaviors and the receipt of monetary transfers, or remittances , from an emigrated parent. Results suggest that while some students attribute their continued ability to enroll in school to the financial contributions they receive from abroad, the dependence upon remittance receipts may leave some adolescents vulnerable to fluctuations in the financial fortunes of their emigrant parents. In some cases, unstable remittance receipts appear to contribute to school dropout. The third and final study is also based on analysis of qualitative interview data. Findings suggest that parental migration can contribute to increased vulnerability among children when it results in a change in household setting or a diminished level of support. Results also suggest that the monitoring practices of emigrated parents can make a difference in the schooling behaviors of children who remain in Cape Verde, particularly when emigrant parents are able to instill in their children a sense of shared sacrifice vis-à-vis the migration project. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of implications for parents and educators, as well as suggested directions for future research on this topic.
Subjects: Cape Verdeans, Education, Student aspirations, Parent and teenager, Separation (Psychology) in children, Problem children, Cabo Verdeans
Places: Cape Verde