From Mothers to Children: Intergenerational Returns to Education

Introduction
This study examines the intergenerational effects of maternal education on early childhood development in Turkey. The analysis is grounded in human capital theory and models of intergenerational transmission, which posit that parental education shapes child outcomes through investments, preferences, and resource allocation. In particular, the mechanism analysis is theoretically grounded by the human capital transmission framework of Currie and Moretti (2003), which highlights resource-based and preference-based channels. The 1997 Turkish Compulsory Schooling Law (CSL), which extended mandatory education from five to eight years, provides exogenous variation in maternal schooling to test these theoretical predictions.

Method
Using the 2018 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS), the study implements a sharp regression discontinuity design (RDD) based on the January 1987 birth cutoff determining CSL exposure. The running variable is month–year of birth, and local linear regressions with optimal bandwidth selection estimate the causal impact of policy-induced maternal education on children’s sociocognitive and physical outcomes. To explain the observed effects, the mechanism analysis operationalizes the resource and preference channels by examining: (i) maternal health behaviors and knowledge; (ii) parenting practices ; (iii) household financial resources; and (iv) fertility behaviors.

Results
Increased maternal education improves children’s sociocognitive skills and physical health, reducing stunting and increasing birth weight and better antropometric scores. Sociocognitive gains are concentrated among rural-origin mothers, while physical improvements are stronger among urban-origin mothers. Effects are amplified when maternal grandmothers are educated. The mechanisms appear to operate primarily through improvements in maternal health behaviors and knowledge—such as earlier and higher-quality prenatal care and greater exposure to informational resources—and through enhanced parenting practices, particularly substantial reductions in child neglect and more attentive supervision.

Conclusion
Policy-driven expansions in female education generate substantial intergenerational returns. By identifying the theoretical channels through which maternal schooling affects child development, the study highlights how educational reforms shape long-run human capital formation across generations.