Investigating Chinese Parents' Growth Mindset and Their Parenting Practices in Children's English Learning

ABSTRACT While an emerging body of research has linked parenting practices to children's learning achievement, limited attention has been paid to parenting practices in children's English learning. Utilising data from 702 7th graders (50.14% girls), the study examined how children's perceptions of their parents' growth mindset predicted children's English motivation and engagement via children's perceptions of parental psychological control and autonomy support in the Chinese EFL context. Results indicated that children's perceived parents' growth mindset was positively associated with children's English adaptive motivation and engagement via perceived parental autonomy support, while negatively associated with children's English maladaptive motivation and engagement through perceived parental psychological control. Notably, child reciprocal filial piety was found to amplify the negative associations between perceived parental psychological control and children's maladaptive English motivation. By contrast, child authoritarian filial piety could buffer the negative associations between perceived parental psychological control and children's English engagement. The study provides a nuanced examination of the mediating and moderating mechanisms of parenting practices in children's English learning in Chinese EFL contexts. Relevant implications for parenting practices in children's English learning and potential directions for future research are discussed.