Research in Social Stratification and Mobility. Mengxuan Li, Yekaterina Chzhen. Published in August 2025.
The analysis includes various socio-demographic factors, such as family socio-economic status and cognitive test scores at age 9. The results reveal generally high educational expectations among immigrant parents compared to their native counterparts, particularly those from Asian, Eastern European, and African origins. However, these immigrant parents' expectations often do not correspond with their children's actual academic performance, highlighting a "paradox of immigrant optimism." In contrast, native Irish parents and those from Western Europe exhibit more realistic expectations aligned with their children's cognitive abilities. Furthermore, the study shows that immigrant parents with higher education levels are more likely to have realistic expectations regarding their children’s educational prospects. These findings contribute to our understanding of educational inequalities and the factors influencing educational aspirations in a context of increasing cultural diversity. Future research should further explore the cultural and structural factors shaping these expectations.