Influence of Family and School Environment on Academic Achievement of Higher Vocational College Students in Yunnan Province, China

This study investigates the impact of family factors and school environment on the academic achievement of higher vocational college students in Yunnan Province, China. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the research adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional, and survey-based design. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was used to select 400 students from public higher vocational colleges, ensuring representation across gender, grade levels, and urban–rural origins. Three culturally adapted and validated instruments were employed: the Academic Achievement Questionnaire, Family Factors Questionnaire, and School Environment Questionnaire, covering dimensions such as study habits, classroom engagement, learning motivation, self-efficacy, parental expectations, family resources, communication, involvement, relationship satisfaction, academic support, facilities, and safety. Regression analyses revealed that family factors accounted for 81–94% of the variance in achievement dimensions, with parental expectations strongly influencing study habits and motivation, family resources shaping classroom engagement, and parental involvement significantly predicting self-efficacy. School environment factors explained 75–94% of the variance, with teacher–student relationships and academic support emerging as critical predictors. Notably, gender differences favored female students, while no significant differences were observed across grade levels, suggesting limited progression in capability development. The findings underscore the differentiated pathways through which family and institutional factors shape student outcomes, calling for targeted interventions rather than one-size-fits-all strategies. This study contributes empirical evidence for developing culturally responsive, integrated educational policies and practices to enhance vocational student achievement in ethnically diverse and economically varied contexts like Yunnan Province.