Developing Human Capitalin 15-Year-Olds

from Low SES Backgrounds

Developing Human Capitalin 15-Year-Olds

from Low SES Backgrounds

CESC-SSHRC Symposium 2006

Lucie DeBlois, Professor, Université LavalMichel Rousseau, Assistant Professor, Université de MonctonLi Zhu, Graduate Student, Université Laval

Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation

1. Reconceptualizing social capital to include the resiliency model

2. Methodology3. Results

1. Which family capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

2. Which components of school capital are most closely related to students’ human capital?

3. Which school capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

4. Which dimensions of social capital are most closely related to the development of students’ human capital?

5. What effect do social capital variables have on the link between SES and students’ human capital?

6. Do certain educational practices foster students’ success?

1. Reconceptualizing social capital to 1. Reconceptualizing social capital to include the resiliency modelinclude the resiliency model

1. Reconceptualizing social capital to 1. Reconceptualizing social capital to include the resiliency modelinclude the resiliency model

School human capital(professional development, climate,

professional engagement)

School human capital(professional development, climate,

professional engagement)

School financial capital(educational resources, infrastructure,

teacher shortage)

School financial capital(educational resources, infrastructure,

teacher shortage)

Family humancapital

(educational attainmentof father and mother)

Family humancapital

(educational attainmentof father and mother)

Human capital(reading success)

Human capital(reading success)

Financial capitalcommunity

Financial capitalcommunity

Child’s human capitalChild’s human capital

Family financialcapital (educationalresources, cultural

goods, level ofpossessions)

Family financialcapital (educationalresources, cultural

goods, level ofpossessions)Human capital

communityHuman capital

community Social capitalstructural (organization)normative (discipline)

dynamic (interactions, activities)dimension

Social capitalstructural (organization)normative (discipline)

dynamic (interactions, activities)dimension

2. Methodology2. Methodology

Database Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Students’ reading success = measurement of students’ human capital Using trends in PISA literacy scores

Level of disadvantage socioeconomic index derived from parents’ employment

Statistical analysis Significant at p < 0.05

3.1 Which family capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

3.1 Which family capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

Education resources available at home

Cultural goods at home

Level of possessions at home

Education resources available at home

Cultural goods at home

Level of possessions at home

Looking at the index of Looking at the index of family human capitalfamily human capital

Looking at the index of Looking at the index of family financial capitalfamily financial capital

Father’s educational attainment

Mother’s educational attainment

Father’s educational attainment

Mother’s educational attainment

3.1 Which family capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

3.1 Which family capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

Statistically significant variables having amoderating (indirect) effect on the link

between socioeconomic statusand students’ human capital

Statistically significant variables having amoderating (indirect) effect on the link

between socioeconomic statusand students’ human capital

Father’s educational attainment (beta = 0.103 p < 0.05)

Cultural goods at home (beta = 0.31 p < 0.05)

Level of possessions at home (beta = -0.020, p < 0.05)

Socioeconomic levelStudent’s human capital(reading success)

3.2 Which components of school capital are most closely related to students’ human capital?

3.2 Which components of school capital are most closely related to students’ human capital?

Professional development

Disruptive conduct

Teacher morale

Professional development

Disruptive conduct

Teacher morale

Material resources Educational resources Shortage of teachers

Material resources Educational resources Shortage of teachers

School human School human capitalcapital

School financial School financial capitalcapital

3.2 Which components of school capital are most closely related to students’ human capital?

3.2 Which components of school capital are most closely related to students’ human capital?

1% of variance explained by the following low-correlation variables Disruptive conduct (0.042) Teacher morale (0.049) Material resources (-0.022) Educational resources (-0.075) Shortage of teachers (-0.052)

Statistically significant variables having adirect effect on the link

between socioeconomic statusand students’ human capital

Statistically significant variables having adirect effect on the link

between socioeconomic statusand students’ human capital

3.2.1 Example of school human capital: Teacher morale3.2.1 Example of school human capital: Teacher morale

IndicatorsIndicators CorrelatioCorrelationn

The morale of teachers in the school is good

0.006

Teachers are excited to be working 0.026

Teachers are proud of the school 0.059

Teachers focus on school success 0.076

3.2.2 Example of school financial capital: Quality of educational resources3.2.2 Example of school financial capital: Quality of educational resources

IndicatorsIndicators CorrelatioCorrelationn

Shortage of educational materials -0.060

Shortage of computer resources -0.030

Lack of library resources -0.068

Lack of multimedia resources -0.057

Lack of laboratory equipment -0.067

Lack of access to the arts -0.064

3.3 Which school capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

3.3 Which school capital variables reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities?

Even though the correlations for someindicators are statistically significant,

none of the six variables being reviewedhas a moderating effect on the link

between socioeconomic statusand children’s human capital

Even though the correlations for someindicators are statistically significant,

none of the six variables being reviewedhas a moderating effect on the link

between socioeconomic statusand children’s human capital

3.4 Which dimensions of social capital are most closely related to the development of students’ human capital?

3.4 Which dimensions of social capital are most closely related to the development of students’ human capital?

Structural dimension Feeling of belonging (beta = -0.013)

Normative dimension Pressure to succeed (beta = -0.012)

Dynamic dimension Level of students’ cultural activities (beta = 0.042) Interactions between parents and children focusing on culture

(beta = 0.045) Interactions between parents and children focusing on friends

(beta = 0.013) Educational support from teachers (beta = 0.014) Student-teacher relations (beta = 0.022)

3.5 What effect do social capital variables have on the link between SES and students’ human capital?

3.5 What effect do social capital variables have on the link between SES and students’ human capital?

VariablesVariables BetaBetaStructural dimension

Family structure (one or two parents) .051

Sense of belonging to the school -.017

Normative dimension

Disciplinary climate in school -.076

Perceived pressure to succeed -.070

Dynamic dimension

Level of cultural activities the student is involved in .215

Parent-child interactions focusing on culture .159

Parent-child interactions focusing on friends .098

Educational support from family -.221

Educational support from teachers -.022

Student-teacher relations .117

The regression equation (multiple regression) predicts 16.8% of the variance in reading success. The moderating effect of certain variables is higher, i.e. they help more to limit the impact of SES differences on human capital development.

3.5 What effect do social capital variables have on the link between SES and students’ human capital?

Statistically significant variables with amoderating effect (indirect effect) on the link

between socioeconomic leveland students’ human capital

Statistically significant variables with amoderating effect (indirect effect) on the link

between socioeconomic leveland students’ human capital

Socioeconomic level Students’ human capital

Dynamic dimension• Students’ level of activity• Parent-child interactions focusing on culture• Educational support from the family• Student-teacher relations

3.5.1 Of the four PISA indicators, which are most closely linked with students’ human capital?

3.5.1 Of the four PISA indicators, which are most closely linked with students’ human capital?

IndicatorsIndicators CorrelatioCorrelationn

Political/social events 0.262

Books, films, television programs 0.215

Listening to classical music 0.034

Talking about problems at school 0.096

The cultural communication dimension is the factor most closely related with a child’s human capital, especially discussions on political and social events.

3.6 Do certain educational practices foster students’ success?

3.6 Do certain educational practices foster students’ success?

IndicatorsIndicators CorrelationCorrelation

Showing interest in student learning 0.046Giving students a chance to express their opinions 0.160

Helping students accomplish their work 0.016Continuing to help students until they understand 0.063

Doing a lot to help students 0.019

Helping students with their learning 0.051

ConclusionConclusion

1. Three of the six variables in the family capital study have a moderating effect on the link between socioeconomic status and the development of students’ human capital (father’s educational attainment, cultural goods at home and level of goods at home), which would help reduce socioeconomic inequalities.

2. None of the six variables in the school capital study had a moderating effect on the link between SES level and the development of students’ human capital.

3. Even though the majority of school capital variables have a significant regression weighting, the six school capital variables explain only 1% of the variance in students’ human capital. In addition, the low regression weightings suggest a limited direct link between social capital variables and the development of human capital.

Conclusion (cont’d)Conclusion (cont’d)

4. However, all of the variables involved in the three dimensions of social capital in the model help explain 16.8% of the variance in students’ human capital. The higher weightings of variables for the dynamic dimension indicate a larger moderating effect between socioeconomic status and the development of students’ human capital.

a) Of the four PISA indicators, cultural communication, involving discussions on political and social events, is most closely related to students’ human capital.

b) Of the six educational practices identified by PISA, although each one has a low significant effect, the indicator "gives students a chance to express their opinions" is dominant.

c) Despite the low correlation, the variable "Teachers promote school success" is the most closely associated with students’ human capital.

d) Despite the low correlation, four of the six variables related to the quality of educational resources are associated with students’ human capital.

Reading success – A concentric modelReading success – A concentric model

School financial capital

School human capital

Father’s educational attainment

Father’s educational attainment

Teacher morale

Teacher morale

Quality of educational resources

Quality of educational resources

• Structural dimension (sense of belonging, family structure)

• Normative dimension (perceived pressure to succeed,

disciplinary climate)• Dynamic dimension (activities,

interactions, and help from teachers)

• Structural dimension (sense of belonging, family structure)

• Normative dimension (perceived pressure to succeed,

disciplinary climate)• Dynamic dimension (activities,

interactions, and help from teachers)

Cultural goods, level of possessions at home

Cultural goods, level of possessions at home

Child’s human capitalReading success

Teachers promote school success

Teachers promote school successCultural

communicationTopics: social, political events,

books…)

Cultural communicationTopics: social, political events,

books…)

Especially abundant library resources and scientific

equipment

Especially abundant library resources and scientific

equipment

Family financial capital

Family human capital

Planned dissemination of resultsPlanned dissemination of results

Zang X., DeBlois L., Deniger M.A., Kamanzi C., Rousseau M. (submitted) Reconceptualisation de la notion de capital social et de résilience dans le contexte de l'éducation : une modélisation pour les élèves issus de milieux socio-économiques défavorisés : Revues des sciences de l’éducation (submitted)

DeBlois L., Hammond A. (in preparation) Comment l’école peut-elle se mettre au service des élèves socialement défavorisés?

DeBlois L., Nadeau J., Kamanzi C. (pending) Les enjeux familiaux et le développement du capital social chez l’élève

DeBlois L., Akoué M.C., Kamanzi C., (pending) Étude comparative internationale sur l’influence du niveau d’éducation des parents et le développement du capital social chez l’élève

DeBlois L., Power G., Rousseau M. (pending) Un modèle mis à l’épreuve.

Internet sites: CRIRES — www.ulaval.ca/crires CSQ — www.csq.qc.net/ QFPC — www.fcppq.qc.ca/presscommunique.html