Page 64 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 64
individual’s social and cultural capital factors. One of the most im-
portant views we expose after reviewing different research results
in this field is that the individual’s social capital in families, schools
and the wider community can be systematically built and strength-
ened in order to reduce the negative effects of deficits in an individu-
al’s cultural capital. The main steps we identified are: encouragement
of support services helping and giving advice to parents on how to
positively and supportively raise and educate a child, allowing par-
ents to successfully reconcile professional and private life, enhancing
the dialogue between parents and schools, empowering parents and
teachers with knowledge of the importance of socio-emotional sup-
port during the educational process, strengthening the development
of a positive school climate that also includes positive peer relations,
and bolstering supportive community-based practices and infra-
structure that encourage an inclusive environment and strengthen
the individual’s sense of belonging, self-concept of ability and inter-
est, and autonomy.
Key words: cultural capital, social capital, local community, educa-
tional outcomes
Introduction
The present article has two general aims: to identify factors at the social and
cultural capital level that importantly affect early school leaving (ESL) and
to identify areas of social and cultural capital that can be encouraged by a
student’s closer and more distant social settings in order to positively influ-
ence their educational outcomes. Overall research trends in this area pri-
marily concentrate on the positive and negative effects of a student’s cul-
tural (SES of family, education level of parents, family’s immigrant status
etc.) and social (support from parents, peers, teachers and the community)
background on their educational success, values and achievements. Results
(e.g. Alexander, Entwisle, & Kabbani, 2001; Panzaru & Tomita, 2013; Lamb,
2003) indicate that all of the factors mentioned above have an important di-
rect impact on students’ educational outcomes and ESL and an indirect im-
pact through interaction between an individual’s social- and cultural-lev-
el factors. This means that the relationship between cultural capital and a
student’s ESL depends on the level of their social capital; a higher level of
social capital can reduce the negative effects of deficits in cultural capital
on ESL. Nonetheless, there is less research that considers the interaction
64
portant views we expose after reviewing different research results
in this field is that the individual’s social capital in families, schools
and the wider community can be systematically built and strength-
ened in order to reduce the negative effects of deficits in an individu-
al’s cultural capital. The main steps we identified are: encouragement
of support services helping and giving advice to parents on how to
positively and supportively raise and educate a child, allowing par-
ents to successfully reconcile professional and private life, enhancing
the dialogue between parents and schools, empowering parents and
teachers with knowledge of the importance of socio-emotional sup-
port during the educational process, strengthening the development
of a positive school climate that also includes positive peer relations,
and bolstering supportive community-based practices and infra-
structure that encourage an inclusive environment and strengthen
the individual’s sense of belonging, self-concept of ability and inter-
est, and autonomy.
Key words: cultural capital, social capital, local community, educa-
tional outcomes
Introduction
The present article has two general aims: to identify factors at the social and
cultural capital level that importantly affect early school leaving (ESL) and
to identify areas of social and cultural capital that can be encouraged by a
student’s closer and more distant social settings in order to positively influ-
ence their educational outcomes. Overall research trends in this area pri-
marily concentrate on the positive and negative effects of a student’s cul-
tural (SES of family, education level of parents, family’s immigrant status
etc.) and social (support from parents, peers, teachers and the community)
background on their educational success, values and achievements. Results
(e.g. Alexander, Entwisle, & Kabbani, 2001; Panzaru & Tomita, 2013; Lamb,
2003) indicate that all of the factors mentioned above have an important di-
rect impact on students’ educational outcomes and ESL and an indirect im-
pact through interaction between an individual’s social- and cultural-lev-
el factors. This means that the relationship between cultural capital and a
student’s ESL depends on the level of their social capital; a higher level of
social capital can reduce the negative effects of deficits in cultural capital
on ESL. Nonetheless, there is less research that considers the interaction
64
