Exploring the Impact of Family Socioeconomic Status on Student Science Achievement in Six Asian Education Systems

• In Event: Science for All: Challenges, Practices, and Spaces of Possibility for Creating Inclusive Science Learning Environments

Abstract

Although the impact of family SES on student academic achievement has received much attention in the western literature, studies focusing on the Asian education systems were limited. Guided by Bourdieu’s capital theory and the success frame notion proposed by Lee and Zhou, this study examined whether a paradoxical relationship between family SES and the science achievement of students exists across six Asian education systems. Results from the analysis of PISA 2012 data indicated that a similar paradoxical relationship was found in the six education systems despite some minor variations. The study provides important understanding about the role of family SES in shaping the academic performances of students, especially those from the least socioeconomically privileged families.

Authors

• Qiang (Andy) Cheng, The University of Mississippi

• Hsien-Yuan Hsu, The University of Mississippi