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Humanities and Social Science Research; Vol. 8, No. 1; 2025
ISSN 2576-3024 E-ISSN 2576-3032
https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n1p123
123 Published by IDEAS SPREAD
Analysis of Positive Parenting Styles Among Rural Primary School
Students' Parents: A Case Study of Qingxi Village, Fujian Province
Siyu Liu1, Yian Zhou1, Weiyi Zhong1, Lulu Zhang1, Yuege Lai1 & Baiyan Du1
1 College of Teacher Education, Quzhou University, China
Correspondence: Baiyan Du, College of Teacher Education, Quzhou University, Quzhou, Zhejiang, 324003, China.
E-mail: 32076 qzu.edu.cn
Received: January 31, 2025; Accepted: February 26, 2025; Published: March 3, 2025
Funding Statement: This research is supported by the College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training
Program (Project No. 202411488027) and the Quzhou University Research Project (Project No. BSYJ202225).
Abstract
With the deepening of educational reforms, rural basic education has garnered increasing societal attention. Family
education, as a critical factor influencing children's development, demonstrates unique significance in rural areas.
This study aims to explore the fundamental characteristics of positive parenting styles among rural primary school
students' parents and propose strategies to enhance family education effectiveness. Focusing on Qingxi Village,
Fujian Province, as a case study, data were collected through questionnaire surveys measuring parental practices
in three dimensions: warmth, autonomy support, and problem-solving assistance.However, challenges persist
due to a lack of effective educational guidance and resources, leading to suboptimal parenting approaches. The
study recommends strengthening parental training programs and expanding educational support services to foster
holistic development among rural students.
Keywords: rural education, family education, basic education, positive parenting styles
1. Introduction
Family education is not only the first classroom for children's growth but also a crucial cornerstone in shaping
their future. However, in vast rural areas, family education is constrained by multiple factors. First, the cultural
literacy of most rural parents has significant room for improvement, and they lack understanding of scientific
educational concepts and methods. Data from *Human Capital in China 2023* released by the Central University
of Finance and Economics (2023) reveal that the educational attainment of China’s urban labor force is markedly
higher than that of the rural labor force. In 2021, only 22.0% of rural laborers had a high school education,
compared to 57.43% in urban areas, indicating a substantial gap. Second, many rural parents are preoccupied with
making a living, leading them to prioritize material needs while neglecting their children’s emotional and
psychological demands, coupled with a lack of effective communication skills. Huang’s (2023) survey of 453
parents of students at a rural primary school in Hunan Province found that 50.77% of parents felt inadequate in
tutoring their children academically, 46.8% reported having no time to manage their children, 43.49%
acknowledged a lack of effective communication with their children, and 27.81% expressed concerns about their
children’s addiction to the internet, phones, or computers. Third, the uneven distribution of educational
resources—particularly in rural and underdeveloped regions—has resulted in deficiencies in scientific education
resources, including outdated teaching facilities, insufficient personalized education, and a shortage of qualified
educators. Ji’s (2023) survey of 203 rural teachers in District P of Province S found that 55.7% believed local
cultural resources were underutilized, only 15.8% reported receiving training on regional folklore and historical
heritage, and a mere 1.0% claimed familiarity with rural educational modernization. Additionally, 75.4% stated
that school equipment barely met their teaching needs, while 7.9% felt facilities were inadequate. Under
standardized development models, rural education continues to face challenges such as low educational quality,
insufficient student motivation, and poor academic performance. For example, a survey of 488 children from three
rural primary schools in eastern Guangdong revealed that only 14.62% achieved high academic scores, while 40.62%
performed poorly (Gao, 2023).
Generally, rural family education is heavily influenced by traditional beliefs, leading to skewed parental
perceptions of education, overreliance on schools, and weak awareness of their primary responsibilities in child-
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rearing. As shown in Lin’s (2023) survey of 97 parents of students at Z Primary School in Fuqing City, 27.5%
were indifferent to establishing a parent committee, and 28.3% opposed its formation. Regarding home-school
collaboration, 26.7% felt schools dominated communication, relegating parents to a passive role. Furthermore,
urbanization has led to declining enrollments in rural schools, with many small-scale institutions operating below
regional standards and lacking sustainable development momentum. Despite increased societal investment in rural
schools, funding and resource allocation remain insufficient, leaving both hardware and software systems in need
of upgrades. Rural areas, with their unique cultural environments and abundant resources, should serve as
microcosms of cultural revitalization, driving continuous progress in rural education.
Parenting styles—defined as specific behavioral patterns and tendencies exhibited during child-rearing—reflect
interactions between parents and children and significantly influence their development across multiple
dimensions (Darling & Steinberg, 1993). Individual coping mechanisms may vary under different parenting
approaches (Bhattacharyya & Pradhan, 2015), as demonstrated by the parental acceptance-rejection theory.
Prolonged exposure to rejecting parenting correlates with negative coping behaviors such as aggression,
defensiveness, and resistance (Strage & Brandt, 1999). Conversely, children raised with warmth and emotional
support are more likely to exhibit positive behaviors and proactive problem-solving (Hong, 2013; Wolfradt et al.,
2003). Ginsburg and Bronstein (1993) found that frequent parental monitoring enhances external motivation, while
positive feedback on academic achievements strengthens internal motivation. This suggests that parental
involvement and encouragement can foster both intrinsic and extrinsic learning motivation, boosting children’s
academic interest. Positive parenting styles not only improve educational outcomes but also elevate societal
educational levels and human capital quality (Park, 2002). Beyond knowledge, parents transmit values and life
attitudes; children raised with positive parenting are more likely to become law-abiding, socially engaged citizens,
reducing familial conflict and promoting harmony—key to societal stability (Zhou, 2014).
In resource-limited rural settings, parents can transmit community and traditional cultural values, enhancing rural
populations’ cultural literacy and fostering diverse, healthy cultural ecosystems (Zhou, 2014). Rural children often
acquire practical life skills—such as agricultural knowledge and household management—from their parents,
laying a foundation for future livelihoods and career development while contributing to higher employment rates
(Boon, 2007). By encouraging curiosity and exploration, parents help children overcome obstacles and pursue
better education. Through positive communication and modeling, parents teach conflict resolution and cooperation,
equipping children to integrate into broader society. Facing life’s challenges, supportive family environments
cultivate resilience, adaptability, and strong study habits. Such nurturing can produce responsible, well-educated
rural youth capable of advancing community culture and driving local socioeconomic progress—a virtuous cycle
that enhances individual well-being and societal development.
Given the scarcity of empirical research on rural family education, this study analyzes the status and engagement
of positive parenting practices in rural contexts. By exploring current challenges and proposing strategies centered
on warmth, autonomy support, and assistance, it aims to optimize rural parenting approaches, improve family
education quality, and provide actionable insights for rural educational advancement. The following research
questions are addressed:
**Research Question 1:** What is the current status of positive parenting practices among parents of rural primary
school students?
**Research Question 2:** How can family-based positive education be promoted for rural primary school students?
2. Theoretical Background
2.1 Definition of Positive Parenting Style
In the 1960s, Baumrind (1966) first introduced the term "Parenting style". The term "parenting" is usually defined
as the influence of parents on children's behavior and development. The parenting style is a psychological structure,
representing the standard strategies used by parents when raising their children. In her survey on parenting styles,
Baumrind put forward three prototypes of different parenting styles, namely permissive, authoritative, and
authoritarian parenting styles. She also divided these three parenting styles into two extremes. One is the
permissive parenting style, which is a non - punitive, accepting, and non - demanding parenting style. The other is
the authoritarian parenting style, where parents try to influence and control their children to maintain their
obedience and respect for authority. The authoritative parenting style is described as a rational parenting style,
characterized by respecting children's self - will and balancing it with disciplined consistency. It is generally
believed that this parenting style produces more positive child outcomes than the other two styles. Therefore,
positive parenting or effective parenting is usually considered to be authoritative parenting, and positive parenting
also includes greater positive health and lower delinquent behavior. In general, positive parenting can be defined
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as essentially authoritative parenting or a parenting style that includes the characteristics of authoritative parenting
(Palacios, 2022). In subsequent research, many researchers have supported Baumrind's research theory that
authoritative parenting and its related behaviors, including warmth, autonomy granting, and behavioral control,
will bring the most favorable outcomes to children.
Since the family is usually the place where human beings begin their lives and develop their first interpersonal
relationships, and it provides the foundation for the formation of personality and character. In particular, the
relationship between parents and children is an important factor in the growth and development of the latter as
adolescents. However, in different studies, the definition of parental attitudes varies. Durbin and Steinberg (1993)
believe that the comprehensive attitude conveyed by parents to their children through physical or non - physical
language during the interaction process is the parenting style. Prevatt (2003) stated that parenting style refers to a
complex of stable attitudes and beliefs related to upbringing, which is the way and method used by parents or
guardians in educating their children. Li and Willems (2019) believe that the family upbringing style is not only a
relatively fixed way of behavior between parents and children in family education life, but also a comprehensive
reflection of the parents' mentality, views, emotions, and actions in the whole process of cultivating their children.
It can be seen that positive parenting style refers to the positive attitudes and behaviors of parents towards their
children, such as warmth, understanding, acceptance, and support.
For rural areas, the family education style is the interaction between parents and children, as well as how to plan
and support children's lives and education in rural communities (Besharat, 2011). It is mainly the cultivation,
guidance, and influence of rural parents or other guardians on their children's moral character, physical quality,
life skills, cultural accomplishment, and behavioral habits, in order to ensure the healthy development of children's
body and mind. Its aim is to guide the society to pay attention to family values, enhance family happiness and
social harmony, and achieve rural revitalization (Qingle, 2024). Baumrind (1991) pointed out that rural parents
are more likely to be authoritative, responsive, and maintain a strict attitude when interacting with their children,
and authoritative parents have high standards for their children and encourage them to discuss their action plans
through arguments and reasons before making decisions (Grobman, 2003; Seid and Mikre, 2008). In addition,
some scholars have further concluded that the positive parenting style of rural parents means that in the rural
environment, parents create a positive family education atmosphere through positive attitudes, behaviors, and
emotional expressions, in order to promote the comprehensive and healthy growth of children (Talin, 2021). That
is, it is the parenting methods and behaviors of rural parents to take positive, supportive, and cultivate children's
initiative and sense of responsibility (Lin, 2022). Therefore, the positive parenting style of rural parents is an
important content in the study of rural family education, which is not only related to the healthy growth of rural
adolescents, but also affects the overall development of rural society.
2.2 Factors Constituting Positive Parenting Style
The characteristics of positive parenting are usually described by different terms, including acceptance, enthusiasm,
participation, sensitivity, response, caring, empathy, promoting social emotional and cognitive growth, and
instruction (Baumrind, 1989; Bornstein, 2003; Hart, Nelson, Robinson, Olsen, 1998). Maccoby (1983) divided
parents' parenting attitudes into two dimensions of love - rejection and autonomy - control, and subdivided them
into four types: love - autonomy, love - control, rejection - autonomy, and rejection - control, and put forward a
cyclical model. "Love - autonomy" refers to the parenting attitude of parents who endow their children with
autonomy and sense of responsibility with love and respect for their children's personality. "Love - control" refers
to the parenting attitude of parents who try to control their children through overprotection and intervention while
expressing love. "Rejection - autonomy" refers to the parenting attitude of indifference and laissez - faire towards
children. "Rejection - control" refers to the psychological and behavioral control of children by ignoring their
opinions and suppressing their behaviors. Skinner, Johnson, and Snyder (2005), based on the self - determination
theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985), that is, the desire to autonomously decide one's own behavior, interpreted the
parenting attitude as six factors: autonomy support, coercion, structure, chaos, warmth, and rejection. The above
are the different conceptual types of parenting attitudes proposed by different scholars, all of which show that
parents' parenting attitudes have a significant impact on children's emotional, behavioral, and cognitive
development.
Tae and Eun (2017) revised the Adolescent Parenting Attitude Scale (PSCQ_KA), and verified the Skinner,
Johnson, and Snyder (2005) Adolescent Parenting Attitude Scale <Parents as Social Context Questionnaire for
Adolescents>, and divided the constituent factors of positive parenting style into three dimensions: warmth,
autonomy support, and provision of assistance. Among them, warmth is related to psychological needs, mainly
reflected in emotional communication and psychological support, showing interest and affection for children,
respecting and accepting their wishes, spending a lot of time together, and expressing verbal and non - verbal
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intimacy. Lam (2018) believes that parents' warmth is a core aspect of parenting, which is usually defined as the
support, praise, and affection from parents. It has been proved that children who have experienced this warm
parenting attitude will have a sense of stability and calmness, and can establish good relationships with people not
only in the family but also in friend and teacher relationships, and can better adapt to society. Autonomy support
is related to the autonomy of psychological needs, which is a key point of self - determination theory, that is,
accepting children's perspectives and views, having confidence to provide opportunities for choice, and
encouraging their self - practice attitude. It can be seen that parents' autonomy support is also related to children's
cognitive ability, academic enthusiasm, autonomous motivation, and mental health psychological and social
indicators, which helps children form the personality traits of self - confidence, independence, and self - motivation.
The provision of assistance is related to ability, which is a psychological need. Parents set clear goals and rules,
but provide sufficient explanations and guidance in a way that children can understand, propose various methods,
and provide appropriate feedback. When parents provide assistance to their children, children can understand the
connection between their behavior and the result, and meet the need for ability by giving full play to their own
ability to achieve the goals they want (Tae, Eun, 2017).
In summary, the research on parenting attitudes has put forward a three - dimensional bipolar model of warmth -
rejection, autonomy support - coercion, and provision of assistance - inconsistency, as well as a unipolar model
that studies warmth, rejection, autonomy support, coercion, provision of assistance, and inconsistency as six
independent factors. In a study on the dimensions of the parenting attitude scale, it was shown that the unipolar
model is superior to the bipolar model in terms of applicability and explanatory power (Tae, Lee, 2017). Therefore,
this study believes that the positive parenting style of parents is the positive attitude and behavior of parents
towards their children's warmth, autonomy support, and provision of assistance, which covers the warm care of
parents for their children, and the cultivation of encouraging autonomy and supporting children's ability to solve
problems independently.
2.3 The Impact of Positive Parenting Style on Children
The direct impact of parents' parenting style is on children's thinking and cognition. Heo (2012) believes that
family upbringing not only determines the quality of parent - child relationships, but also has a significant impact
on children's psychological characteristics, and thus affects children's intellectual development. Parents who have
positive parenting behaviors and higher requirements for their children are always beneficial to the positive health
of children and adolescents. This not only provides protection for children to prevent delinquency, but also gives
children good education and happiness experience to adapt to society (Baumrind, 1966; Lamborn et al., 1991;
Darling, Steinberg, 1993). Kautz (2014) proved the significant impact of parenting style on children's non -
cognitive abilities, including behavioral problems, social skills, and emotional problems. In a recent study, Falk et
al. (2021) explored the relationship between parenting style and children's patience, risk aversion, behavior, and
altruism. The study emphasized that the parenting style centered on children and warmth has a positive impact on
these aspects. That is to say, the parenting style that combines effective discipline with parental warmth, that is,
positive parenting, will enable children to have a higher adaptability (Martinez - Escudero et al., 2023). In the
future development of children, parents' parenting styles play a certain guiding role in various aspects. The moral
and behavioral standards of parents are expressed and conveyed in communication with their children, and children
will imitate and apply these standards to form their own development (Park, 2002).
Family upbringing plays a key role in children's acquisition of positive and negative habits. Generally speaking,
extreme permissive and authoritarian parenting will lead to adverse outcomes for children (Hosokawa, Katsura,
2019; Pinquart, Gerke, 2019). That is, parents with authoritarian and neglectful parenting styles impose harsh
physical and psychological control on their children, which is more likely to lead to children's internalized
disorders and externalized behavioral problems (Pinquart, 2016; Rinaldi, Howe, 2012). Zakeri (2013) showed in
the study of the relationship between parenting style and academic procrastination that the positive parenting style
involving "acceptance - participation" and "psychological autonomy - granting" was significantly negatively
correlated with academic procrastination, that is, when parents used strict supervision parenting style, academic
procrastination increased significantly. That is to say, when parents have a negative parenting style, children's self
- efficacy decreases, resulting in children's procrastination in academics (Frost, Lahart, and Rosenblate, 1991). Oh
(2014) found that when parents often punish or restrict their children, children's reaction to school life is more
negative, and their achievement motivation will gradually decrease. Therefore, negative parenting styles may lead
to children's rebellious psychology, have a negative impact on adolescents' adaptation to school life and learning
enthusiasm, and may even internalize parents' authoritarian attitudes and behaviors, and replicate this pattern in
their own lives and relationships in the future.
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In rural areas, due to the limitations of traditional values and resources, the family education concepts are relatively
outdated, there is a lack of professional talents, the school's family education guidance ability is weak, and the lack
of family education support functions, which leads to the close relationship between parents' parenting styles and
the cognitive, emotional, social, and academic development of children and adolescents (Durbin et al., 1993). The
types of rural parenting styles are roughly determined to be permissive and authoritarian parenting styles, which
are related to the academic achievement and moral character of rural students. Positive authoritative rural family
education means that children can obtain the necessary learning support and encouragement, achieve higher
academic achievement and self - efficacy, and thus may have the opportunity to receive higher - level education
(Lau, Power, 2020). In addition, some researchers have observed that permissive parents may lead to greater
insecurity in children because they have too much freedom and lack sufficient supervision, resulting in children's
excessive emotional dependence, loss of self - control, and lack of courage to deal with difficult situations (Lo,
2020). Lau (2020) believes that although authoritarian education may improve academic performance in some
cases, authoritarian rural family education may lead to children feeling that their feelings and needs are not valued,
resulting in emotional repression and communication barriers, and easily triggering children's rebellious behavior.
It can be seen that in rural family education, kindness, discipline, and clear boundaries are more likely to help
children's physical and mental health development than obedience and harsh attitudes.
3. Methods
3.1 Research Objects
This study explores and analyzes the basic situation of positive parenting styles of parents of rural primary school
students. Parents of students were chosen as the research objects. Due to the advantages of online questionnaires,
such as low collection cost, convenience, and speed (Tan, Teo, 2000), this study collected online questionnaires
from parents of lower - grade students in a primary school in Qingxi Village, Youxi County, Fujian Province
through the method of online questionnaire filling and collection. In August 2024, the questionnaires were
distributed through the Wenjuanxing APP, and data was collected over a period of two weeks. A total of 125
questionnaires were collected, and 1 invalid questionnaire was screened out, leaving 124 questionnaires as the
final data. The frequency of fathers as the main caregivers of the children in the family was 76, accounting for
61.3%. The frequency of mothers as the main caregivers was 36, accounting for 29%. The number of children
whose main caregivers were (maternal) grandparents and other relatives was relatively small, with a frequency of
12, accounting for 9.7%. In terms of grade, there were 69 students in the first grade, accounting for 55.6%, and 55
students in the second grade, accounting for 44.4%. Regarding the number of children in the family, there were 10
only children, accounting for 8.1%. The frequency of families with two children was 62, accounting for 50%. The
frequency of parents with three or more children was 52, accounting for 41.9%. According to the educational
distribution of the main caregivers of the children in the family, there were 88 people with junior high school
education or below, accounting for 71.1%. There were 21 people with high school education, accounting for 16.9%.
The number of people with college education or above was 15, accounting for 12.1%. The characteristics of the
research objects are shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Background Characteristics of Research Objects
Project
Category
Frequency
Percentage(%)
Primary Caregiver of Family Children
Father
76
61.3
Mother
36
29.0
Maternal) Grandparents and
Other Relatives
12
9.7
Grade
One
69
55.6
Two
55
44.4
Number of Children in the Family
One Child
10
8.1
Two Children
62
50.0
Three or More Children
52
41.9
Educational Level of the Primary Caregiver
of Family Children
Junior High School and Below
88
71.1
High School
21
16.9
College and Above
15
12.1
Total Number
124
100
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3.2 Research Instruments
In this study, to measure parents' parenting behaviors, 6 items and 12 questions from the revised Adolescent
Motivation Model Parenting Attitude Scale by Tae and Eun (2017) were used. The factors of positive parenting
attitude included three variables: warmth, autonomy support, and provision of assistance, with 12 questions in
total. Each question was measured using a Likert - type 5 - point scale ( "completely disagree" = 1 point, "somewhat
disagree" = 2 points, "neutral" = 3 poi
nts, "somewhat agree" = 4 points, "completely agree" = 5 points). The higher the score of this scale, the higher the
level of parents' positive parenting. In this study, the Cronbach α value of parents' positive parenting style
calculated for students ranged from 0.889 to 0.946, with warmth at 0.889, autonomy support at 0.946, and
provision of assistance also at 0.946. This confirmed the reliability of the instrument. Considering that a Cronbach
α value greater than 0.60 is an acceptable level of confidence (DeVellis, 2012), the reliability of the questionnaire
was acceptable. Therefore, the composition of questions for each variable of positive parenting style and the
calculation results of Cronbach α reliability are shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Composition of Questions and Reliability of Sub - factors in Positive Parenting Attitude Scale
Factor
Item Number
Number of Questions
Cronbach α
Warmth
1,2,3,4
4
0.889
Autonomy Support
5,6,7,8
4
0.946
Provision of Assistance
9,10,11,12
4
0.946
Total
12
0.970
3.3 Procedural Analysis
The data analysis in this study was carried out using the SPSS 26.0 program, and the analysis was conducted
according to the following procedures. First, a frequency analysis was conducted to understand the general
statistical characteristics of the research objects, and the frequency and percentage were calculated. Second,
Cronbach α was calculated to verify the reliability of the measurement tools used in the study. Third, a descriptive
statistical analysis was carried out to calculate the mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis of the main
variables. Fourth, the differences in the three dimensions of positive parenting style among different demographic
variables were analyzed. Specifically, a t - test statistical analysis was conducted on the differences in positive
parenting style among different grades; an ANOVA statistical analysis was conducted on the differences in positive
parenting style among different main caregivers of family children, the number of children in the family, and the
educational level of the main caregivers of family children. Finally, strategies to promote positive parenting styles
among rural parents were proposed based on the analysis results of this study.
4. Results
4.1 Comprehensive Situation Analysis
Before analyzing the research questions, in order to examine the basic characteristics of the main variables, we
calculated the mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis of the sub - factors of warmth, autonomy support,
and provision of assistance in the positive parenting style of parents of lower - grade students, and presented the
results together with the range of each variable in Table 3. The survey showed that the mean value of warmth in
positive parenting style was M = 4.1552, the mean value of autonomy support was M = 4.1573, and the mean
value of provision of assistance was M = 4.153, with the values of skewness and kurtosis between - 2 and 2. When
the kurtosis and skewness are within - 2 and 2, it can be considered that the distribution shape is normal (Nadarajah,
2005).
Table 3. Descriptive Statistics of Key Variables
Component
Mean
Standard Deviation
Skewness
Kurtosis
Warmth
4.1552
.92810
-1.317
1.779
Autonomy Support
4.1573
.95656
-1.516
2.189
Provision of Assistance
4.153
.98023
-1.285
1.461
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4.2 Difference Analysis
To analyze the differences in positive parenting styles among parents of rural primary school students based on
their demographic characteristics, a factor variance analysis was conducted. The t - test analysis method was used
to examine the differences among students of different grades, while the ANOVA analysis method was employed
to investigate the differences in warmth, autonomy support, and provision of assistance among different main
caregivers of family children, the number of children in the family, and the educational level of the main caregivers
of family children. The specific situation is shown in Table 4.
In the family, the warmth (F = 4.869) provided by the main caregiver of the children has a significant impact on
the children's growth. Specifically, the warmth provided by mothers (M = 4.34) is more prominent than that
provided by fathers (M = 3.97), while the warmth provided by other relatives is relatively lower (M = 3.56).
When examining the educational level of the main caregiver in the family, the provision of assistance (F = 3.248)
is statistically significant, while there is no significant difference in warmth and autonomy support among
caregivers with different educational levels. Moreover, caregivers with a college degree or above (M = 4.75) are
more inclined to provide assistance, and caregivers with a high school education (M = 4.11) provide more help
than those with a junior high school education or below (M = 4.09). In addition, no other variables showed
significant differences.
Table 4. Test of Differences in Scores of Positive Parenting Style among Parents in Demographic Aspects
Component
Positive Parenting Style
Warmth
（M±SD）
Autonomy Support
（M±SD）
Provision of
Assistance
（M±SD）
Primary Caregiver
of Family Children
Mother（N=76）
4.34±0.84
4.31±0.89
4.27±0.93
Father（N=36）
3.97±0.91
4.15±1.03
4.1±0.94
Other Relatives（N=12）
3.56±1.22
3.69±1.07
3.58±1.23
F
4.869
2.356
2.713
p
0.009**
0.099
0.070
Grade of Family
Children
1-3Grade（N=69）
4.01±1.04
4.09±1.05
4.07±1.09
4-6Grade（N=55）
4.33±0.73
4.35±0.82
4.26±0.81
t
-1.912
-1.481
-1.080
p
0.058
0.141
0.282
Number of Family
Children
1（N=10）
4.23±0.72
3.95±0.95
3.93±1.06
2（N=62）
4.22±0.79
4.3±0.75
4.24±0.8
≥3（N=52）
4.06±1.1
4.14±1.16
4.11±1.16
F
0.443
0.770
0.558
p
0.643
0.465
0.574
Educational Level
of the Primary
Caregiver in the
Family
Junior High School and
Below
（N=88）
4.09±0.99
4.13±1.00
4.07±1.01
High School（N=21）
4.17±0.83
4.13±0.95
4.11±1.00
College and Above（N=15）
4.52±0.52
4.77±0.38
4.75±0.41
F
1.358
3.055
3.248
p
0.261
0.051
0.042*
*p≤.05；**p≤.01，N=124
5. Discussion and Conclusion
The main purpose of this study is to conduct an in - depth investigation and analysis of the positive parenting styles
of parents of rural primary school students, with a view to understanding the current implementation of positive
parenting styles in rural families and proposing effective promotion strategies based on this. Firstly, in order to
verify Research Question 1 "What is the situation of positive parenting styles among parents of rural primary
school students?", this study conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis and difference analysis of 124 parents
of rural primary school students. From the results of the descriptive statistical analysis, the overall trend of positive
parenting styles among rural parents is relatively good, which indicates that in the current rural family education
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environment, the concepts and methods of positive parenting have been popularized and practiced to a certain
extent. However, despite the overall good level, in the specific analysis of sub - factors, we found that the score of
autonomy support is higher than that of warmth and provision of assistance, which reveals that there is still room
for improvement in the positive parenting styles of rural parents. Specifically, the higher score of autonomy support
may be due to the fact that rural parents pay more attention to cultivating children's independence and autonomy
when educating them, which helps children form the ability to think independently and solve problems. However,
the relatively low scores of warmth and provision of assistance may mean that some rural parents, due to busy
work or other reasons, are unable to give their children enough attention and support, so parents still need to
strengthen their emotional care and practical help.
In the difference analysis, the warmth parenting style provided by mothers is higher than that of fathers and other
relatives, which is partially consistent with the study of Dyches (2012). In the family, mothers are usually more
inclined than fathers to use emotional support and positive interaction methods to educate their children. This
phenomenon may be related to the traditional concept of gender roles. Since mothers are usually the main
caregivers of children, they have more opportunities to express warmth and support through daily interactions, and
the educational background and social support system of mothers may also have an impact on their parenting styles.
This continuous emotional communication helps to establish a closer parent - child relationship, thereby promoting
children's psychological health and emotional development. Fathers and other relatives may be less involved in
children's daily lives due to work burden or other responsibilities, resulting in their poorer performance in
providing warm parenting compared with mothers.
The main caregivers in families with a college degree or above provide the highest level of assistance - giving
parenting style, followed by those with high school and junior high school education or below. This result is
partially consistent with the study of Song (2024), and the educational background of family caregivers has a
significant impact on children's growth and development. Caregivers with high education levels usually have more
educational resources, knowledge reserves, and social support. They are more inclined to use scientific and
systematic parenting methods in the process of raising children. They may pay attention to children's psychological
development, understand the needs of children at different age stages, and thus provide more personalized and
appropriate education. In contrast, caregivers with lower education levels may have a more singular understanding
of children's development due to the limitations of their education level, or lack relevant parenting knowledge and
skills. This leads to their more traditional or empirical parenting styles, which are difficult to meet the diverse
needs of modern education.
Secondly, to verify Research Question 2: "How to promote the family positive education of rural primary school
students?", according to the research results of parents' positive parenting styles and their sub - dimensions, in
family education, educators should pay more attention to children's warmth input, autonomy support, and provision
of necessary assistance. When the family is filled with an atmosphere of love and care, it can effectively enhance
children's sense of security, and the warmth and care conveyed by educators through words and deeds are one of
the important factors for children's self - confidence and social interaction ability improvement. Therefore,
educators should encourage parents to establish good parent - child relationships and listen to the voices of their
children so that they can get emotional support. Secondly, in the process of rural primary school students' growth,
parents' encouragement of children to make their own choices in daily life and actively participate in family
decision - making is of great significance to the improvement of children's self - efficacy and sense of responsibility.
Therefore, educators can organize family education lectures or workshops to help parents understand how to
effectively encourage children's autonomy and provide suggestions for self - learning resources and activities
suitable for rural students. In addition, rural primary school students often face the problem of lack of resources in
their studies and life. In this regard, educators can suggest that families establish an effective communication
mechanism, encourage families to pay attention to children's learning needs and emotional changes, and give
necessary help and guidance when needed.
This study analyzed the positive parenting styles of parents of rural primary school students in Qingxi Village,
Fujian Province, and used descriptive statistics and difference analysis methods to reveal the current situation of
family education in the area, providing information for understanding the family parenting patterns of similar rural
communities. By showing in detail the specific performance of parents in dimensions such as warmth, autonomy
support, and provision of assistance, the policy recommendations proposed in the study aim to improve the quality
of family education in rural areas and promote the effective use of community educational resources, which has
certain guiding significance. However, the limitations of the study should not be ignored. Firstly, due to the
possibly singular sample, the results may lack wide representativeness, and the sample size can be further expanded
in the future to enhance the reliability of the study. Secondly, data collection mainly relies on questionnaire surveys,
hssr.ideasspread.org Humanities and Social Science Research Vol. 8, No. 1; 2025
131 Published by IDEAS SPREAD
which may have subjective bias. Future research should consider combining multiple methods to improve the
objectivity and accuracy of data. Finally, the study did not fully consider the impact of local culture on parenting
styles, which is an important aspect that needs in - depth exploration in future research. Although some suggestions
have been put forward, due to the lack of actual intervention verification, the effectiveness of these suggestions
still needs to be further tested and adjusted in practice.
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