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From social class to self-efficacy: internalization of low social status pupils’ school performance

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Abstract

Previous research has largely documented that socioeconomic status (SES) is a strong and consistent predictor of pupils’ school performance in several countries. In this research, we argue that children internalize the SES achievement gap in the form of a lower/higher sense of school self-efficacy. In two studies, teenaged students’ (Study 1) and children’s (Study 2) self-efficacy was measured. Their parents’ occupations as well as the students’ anticipated grades (Study 1) and real grades (Study 2) in mathematics and French were recorded. The results indicated that SES affected both self-efficacy and school performances. Moreover, self-efficacy mediated the link between SES and mathematics performance. Thus, a seemingly psychological factor (i.e., self-efficacy) actually depends on social status and further contributes to explain low SES students’ poor performance in school.

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Notes

  1. Preliminary analysis indicated no main effect of gender on either self-efficacy, F < 1, or performance, (mathematics: F < 1, French: F(1,76) = 1.56, p = .22). Thus, this variable was not retained in the analyses.

  2. As in Study 1, there was no main effect of gender on either performance (mathematics or French) or self-efficacy (mathematics or French), all F < 1. Thus, gender was not entered in the analyses.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche, the Swiss National Foundation, and the Région Auvergne. We wish to express our gratitude to Lyon Catholic University for its participation in Study 2.

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  1. University Clermont Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Virginie Wiederkehr, Céline Darnon, Sébastien Chazal, Serge Guimond & Delphine Martinot

  2. Institut Universitaire de France, University Clermont Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Céline Darnon

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  1. Virginie Wiederkehr
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Correspondence to Céline Darnon.

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Address for correspondence of the author Céline Darnon is Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, 34 Avenue Carnot, 63037 Clermont-Ferrand Cedex, France.

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Wiederkehr, V., Darnon, C., Chazal, S. et al. From social class to self-efficacy: internalization of low social status pupils’ school performance. Soc Psychol Educ 18, 769–784 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-015-9308-8

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