Kim, Hyo-Jin & Kim, Tae-Young. “Mothers’ Perception of Their Children’s Middle School English
Education: Focusing on The Socioeconomic Status of Mothers in Gyeonggi Province.” Studies in English
Language & Literature. 43.1 (2017): 211-241. The purpose of this study is to identify differences in the
perception of mothers in Gyeonggi Province on English education given to their children in middle school
based on the participating mothers’ socioeconomic status. In order to address the research question, we
used a mixed methods approach combining a series of questionnaire surveys and semi-structured
interviews with mothers. The findings of this study are as follows: first, mothers from high socioeconomic
backgrounds were more likely to participate in activities supporting their children’s English education.
Those with high monthly income were found to actively participate in English-related events at school,
help their children with homework, and have more frequent conversations with them and English teachers
about learning. In addition, mothers with high educational and income levels shared information on
English education with other mothers. The participating mothers’ employment status did not exert a
statistically significant impact on the actions they took to support English education for their children.
Regardless of their socioeconomic status, mothers insisted the government provide more practical and
useful learning materials, as they felt that it would make English education more successful. Practical
implications are provided.