Why do some students excel while others struggle, despite having access to the same school educational resources? The answer often lies in their socioeconomic status (SES).

SES is a complex construct that goes beyond mere financial standing; it encompasses access to economic, cultural and social resources (see for example Waithaka, 2014). But how do we truly understand the complexities of SES in education?

This blog post discusses insights from a recently published umbrella review of 48 studies on SES (Tan, 2024).

What is SES, really?

SES is traditionally measured using parental education, occupation and family income (Long & Renbarger, 2023). However, recent research suggests that SES also includes subjective evaluations (for instance self-perceptions of SES) and collective attributes (such as community resources) (Rubin et al., 2014).

The review highlights the importance of students’ mobilisation of capital and adopting a diverse, asset-based perspective of SES.

Towards a comprehensive understanding of the influence of SES on learning

Did you know that SES has a significant impact on student achievement? Studies show a mean effect size of r = .22, which is considered large in educational research (Kraft, 2020).

However, SES effects can be confounded with other demographic factors, making it essential to adopt a more nuanced approach.

‘SES effects can be confounded with other demographic factors, making it essential to adopt a more nuanced approach.’

The review (Tan, 2024) also suggests that SES needs to be examined from an ecological perspective to take into account the complexities involved (Chang & Shih, 2023). Specifically, there are different processes (that is, mediators) that explain how SES influences student learning. SES (as a moderator) can also strengthen the impact of some variables on student learning. In addition, the SES influence on student learning is not insulated from the effects of contextual factors. Therefore, understanding the SES influence from an ecological perspective can help in developing targeted interventions that address the root causes of educational disparities and enhance disadvantaged students’ access to educational opportunities and resources.

Why should we care?

Why is it crucial to understand the role of SES in education? Policies aimed at improving learning outcomes for low-SES students must address multiple factors.

It’s not just about providing resources; it’s about affirming the strengths these students bring and tackling systemic inequalities related to poverty and classism (Mishra, 2020).

The review suggests that policies should comprehensively address multiple factors influencing student learning and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach (Chang & Shih, 2023). Policies should include enhancing disadvantaged students’ access to educational opportunities and resources, affirming their strengths, and addressing structural and systemic inequalities related to poverty, classism and segregation (Kaya & Selvitopu, 2024).

Moving forward

How can we better support low-SES students?

By adopting an ecological perspective, we can understand the various mediating and moderating processes that influence student learning. This comprehensive approach can help create more inclusive educational policies that truly make a difference. For example, to improve learning outcomes for low-SES students, policies should:

• address structural and systemic inequalities related to poverty, classism and segregation
• enhance access to educational opportunities and resources
• affirm the strengths that disadvantaged students bring to their learning.

By expanding our understanding and adopting a more nuanced approach, we can develop more effective policies and interventions. What steps will you take to address SES-related challenges in your educational context?

References

Chang, T.-F., & Shih, K. Y. (2023). Are Asian American children and youth high achieving?:

Unpacking variations of educational achievement from an integrative ecological perspective. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 14(1), 36–50. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000252

Kaya, M., & Selvitopu, A. (2024). The roles of family contextual factors on immigrant students’

academic achievement: A meta‑analysis. Current Psychology, 43, 3853–3865. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05046-6

Kraft, M. A. (2020). Interpreting effect sizes of education interventions. Educational Researcher, 49(4), 241–253. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20912798

Long, K., & Renbarger, R. (2023). Persistence of poverty: How measures of socioeconomic status have changed over time. Educational Researcher, 52(3), 144–154. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X221141409

Mishra, S. (2020). Social networks, social capital, social support and academic success in higher education: A systematic review with a special focus on ‘underrepresented’ students. Educational Research Review, 29, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100307

Rubin, M., Denson, N., Kilpatrick, S., Matthews, K. E., Stehlik, T., & Zyngier, D. (2014). ‘I am working-class’ subjective self-definition as a missing measure of social class and socioeconomic status in higher education research. Educational Researcher, 43(4), 196–200. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X14528373

Tan, C. Y. (2024). Socioeconomic status and student learning: Insights from an umbrella review. Educational Psychology Review, 36, 1–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09929-3

Waithaka, E. N. (2014). Family capital: Conceptual model to unpack the intergenerational transfer of advantage in transitions to adulthood. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(3), 471–484. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12119