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Studies have examined a broad range of factors for how students use their time, but few attempts have been made to explore the nuanced link between different types of asset ownership and students' use of study time, particularly in resource-limited countries. This study uses data from junior high school students in Ghana to examine how students spend their time after school hours, the predictive influence of different types of household assets, and the extent to which these trends and relationships vary by gender. Polynomial quantile regression models were fitted across three quantiles (24th, 53rd, and 76th percentiles) to align with one hour, one and half hours, and two hours of study time. Results show that the average student spends well above the recommended 90 minutes on their schoolwork during afterschool hours, regardless of gender. Multivariate results indicate that owning limited assets tends to have a negative relationship with use of study time, but higher levels tend to be positively related to use of study time. Also, the predictive influence of asset ownership varies by asset type, and higher levels of asset ownership favor girls more than boys. Given this study's realtively small sample size, caution must be exercised in generalizing the study findings to the general population of junior high school students in Ghana. In light of the study's limitations, the finding of varying asset effect may have practical implications for asset development programs designed to enhance the well-being of low-income families. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The volume of research on high educational expectations among young people is increasing. Yet, there are still research gaps in what we know about the key predictors of young people's educational expectations, especially in the Sub-Saharan African context. This study aims to complement existing research on asset effects by testing two related propositions about how child and parent savings relate independently to children's expectations for university education. We use propensity score analysis with data from a random sample of junior high school students in Ghana. Findings reveal that parent savings are positively associated with higher probability of children having higher educational expectation. We also find that parents' savings have stronger effect on children's educational expectations compared to children's savings. We discuss implications for early exposure of young people to savings opportunities and its potential to ensure educational progression and optimum psychological and economic benefits to students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential relevance of households' asset ownership in promoting academic success of children has spurred empirical investigation into the relationship between assets and academic performance. However, current research has mostly ignored the diverse pathways by which asset ownership may be connected to academic performance. This study focuses on one of these largely ignored pathways by examining how parents' and youth's expectations may intervene in the relationship between household asset ownership and the academic performance of junior high school students in Ghana. Using the asset-effect framework as a theoretical guide, the study uses observational data and multilevel structural equation modeling to address the aims of the study. Results show that at the 95% confidence level, there is no direct relationship between household asset ownership and academic performance but compelling evidence that assets are associated indirectly with academic performance through youth's academic expectations. A group invariance test also finds no statistically significant gender difference in the mediational role of youth's expectations. Policy initiatives ought to reflect the many ways that asset ownership affects students' academic success. Teachers should be trained to not only teach course content but also help improve students' academic expectations and psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, discussion about the financial capability of rural households has increased. Although studies have conceptualized what financial capability means, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that addresses how the different components of financial capability interact to improve savings outcomes, especially in rural households in sub-Saharan Africa. In this article, the authors use data from an asset-building project in Masindi, Uganda, and a multilevel logistic regression approach to model the likelihood of households contributing to a savings account in a bank. The advantage of a multilevel modeling approach is that it will allow for understanding how contextual factors, such as proximity to the bank and the presence of informal savings mechanisms, affect how households save. Findings suggest that community characteristics affect rural households' financial capability. The study also shows that financial education and the existence of informal savings groups are associated with the households' saving behaviors and that internal and external factors are important in shaping them. The implications of the findings and the importance of using the correct method of analysis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article tests the mediation effects of future orientation in the relationship between assets and perceived economic stability. The first model, proposed by Sherraden, presents the direct effects of assets on perceived economic stability without any intermediary role of future orientation. The second model presents a model of asset effects on perceived economic stability that is fully mediated by future orientation as proposed by Shobe and Page-Adams. The authors propose a third model with a partial mediation role of future orientation. Using structural equation modeling, the authors test these hypotheses and find that the full mediation hypothesis is a better fit. The authors present a discussion for the further development of asset theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Household assets as part of youth''s family background have been found to have a significant impact on youth''s academic achievement. In this study, the impact of household possessions on youth''s academic achievement in the Ghana YouthSave experiment is investigated. Findings support the hypothesized positive direction of the impact of household possessions on academic achievement of youth. Results show youth from households that reported owning at least one of the five household possessions scored almost one unit higher on English than their peers from households that do not own any. However, results indicate ownership of household possessions does not have a statistically significant impact on Math scores of youth. Consistent with prior studies, this study presents evidence of the importance of family economic background, particularly asset ownership, on youth''s academic achievement. Policy implications are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]