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Personal Agency among Students from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds: An Examination of Student Profiles, Perceived Teaching Support, and Achievement

Personal Agency among Students from Low Socio-Economic Backgrounds: An Examination of Student Profiles, Perceived Teaching Support, and Achievement

Authors :
Rebecca J. Collie
Andrew J. Martin
Anaïd Flesken
Brianna McCourt
Source :
Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal. 2024 27(4):1705-1736.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Personal academic agency--the thoughts, actions, and emotions that impact individual functioning at school--is central for academic success. On average, students from low socio-economic status (low-SES) backgrounds report lower levels of personal academic agency than their more advantaged peers, but there are also many who achieve academic success. Identifying different personal academic agency profiles among students from low-SES backgrounds may assist in targeting efforts to boost these factors within that population--and to identify students who are faring well, as well as those who might require additional support. This study examined five factors of personal academic agency (perceived competence, school belonging, perseverance, academic buoyancy, and conduct problems) among 20,125 secondary school students from low-SES backgrounds at 421 Australian schools. We identified profiles of students that vary in patterns of personal academic agency, and examined teaching support predictors and achievement differences associated with profile membership. Latent profile analysis revealed five student profiles: Vulnerable (9% of sample), Resigned (27%), Precarious (28%), Average (32%), and Flourishing (14%) profiles. Students' perceptions of teaching support predicted membership in more adaptive profiles (i.e., Average and Flourishing profiles)--with the most consistent teaching support predictors being emotional support, classroom management, and instructional relevance. In addition, the Flourishing profile displayed the highest achievement.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1381-2890 and 1573-1928
Volume :
27
Issue :
4
Database :
ERIC
Journal :
Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
EJ1439616
Document Type :
Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09881-0