Educational achievement : does parental cultural capital make a difference

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify whether there is a link between secondary school children's educational achievement and their parental cultural capital. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 parents of Form 1 and Form 2 secondary school underachieving girls. Throughout the interviews, parents gave information about their daughters' education, their involvement and their communication with their daughters. Questions were also posed about parents' economic capital and also about outings and activities in which they encourage their children to participate. The data collected during the interviews were analysed and compared to the theories found in literature. The feedback provided by the interviewed parents agrees with numerous theoretical insights and case studies, which concluded that educational institutions do not give special attention to working class pupils to make sure they have equal opportunities to succeed like middle and upper class students. Moreover, all parents showed that they care about their daughters' education by attempting to help them with difficulties experienced in homework, in addition to offering moral support by acknowledging the problems that their children are experiencing at school. Some parents also expressed their concern due to not being able to afford private lessons to help their daughters to improve. They also gave importance to technological equipment for their daughters to improve their learning.