Differential Effects of Household Assets on Students' Time Use

Background and Purpose: Children in developing countries are inundated with competing demands for their after-school hours, whether it is engaging in economic activities, watching television, or playing with electronic gadgets (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006). Students’ time use has impacts beyond the effects of current academic performance; it has long-term implications for success at future work, job satisfaction, and good health (Brint & Cantwell, 2010; Claessens, Eerde, & Rutte, 2007; MacKenzie, 1990). Studies have examined personal, family, and societal-level factors that predict the amount of time students allocate to their learning (Xu, Yuan, Xu, Xu, 2014). However, few attempts have been made to fully examine the nuanced connection between different types of household economic resources and students' time use, particularly in resource-limited countries. This study aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the economic predictors of students’ time use by examining how household properties and livestock predict the amount of time students spend on their schoolwork.

Methods: Data for this study came from a pilot quasi-experimental study of junior high school students in two districts in Ghana (N = 140). Because the predictive effect of economic resources on study hours may differ at certain time intervals, we segmented the sample into three subgroups based on students’ study hours. We fitted quantile regression models across three quantiles (24th, 53th, and 76th percentiles) to align with one hour, one and half hours, and two hours of study time. We adjusted for student academic performance, engagement in income generating activities, perceived financial obstacle, and parental support.

Results: Results show that household properties (b = 7.39, p < .001) and livestock (b = 0.92, p < .05) are positively and significantly associated with study hours only at the 75th quantiles. As household properties increase by one unit, the predicted amount of study time increases by 7.39 minutes for students who study for no less than two hours. Likewise, among students who study for two and half hours or more, a one-unit increase in household livestock is associated with nearly a minute increase in their study hours. Comparatively, household properties are more predictive of student time use than household livestock ownership. 

Conclusion and Implication: Although household economic resources are positively associated with students’ allocation of study hours, the relationship is nuanced. Not only does the strength of the relationship vary by type of economic resources, but it also depends on whether students typically study for two hours or more. The finding also suggests that when children are in programs that require more learning during afterschool hours, household assets can have a positive influence. For instance, households with more resources may be able to afford opportunities such as after-school programs, where children’ benefit from the additional educational experience. An important practice implication is that economically disadvantaged families may need support in finding and paying for additional learning opportunities for their children during after school hours.