Unravelling the Relationship Between Social Class and Multiple Aspects of Success in Higher Education: A Cross-Institutional Study

Abstract

Although previous research has found social class differences in students’ academic performance at university, success in higher education is far more multi-faceted. This study surveyed 2,665 undergraduate students from six Australian universities to investigate mediators of class differences in success, where success was operationalised using diverse and comprehensive measures (e.g., academic self-efficacy, cognitive engagement). Importantly, class was operationalised as a continuous variable rather than arbitrary quartiles. Mediation analyses showed consistent relationships between class and sense of success. Economic capital was identified as the main mediator, followed by social connections, cultural expectations, and aspirations. Some criteria—particularly greater interdependent motivation to be a role model for their community and assist their families after university—were more important in success evaluations for students from backgrounds with lower measures of socioeconomic class. Interdependent motivations suppressed some of the negative effects of lower class, providing evidence of alternative capitals or personal motivational resources. We conclude that conceptions of educational success that elide non-academic forms of success and minimise student’s motivations, especially community-based motivations, offer a limited and limiting understanding of the student experience.