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The main issue of interest in this study is the effects of socio-economic background (SES) of the students and its relationship with academic performance. Specifically, the study will investigate the transmitting mechanisms associated with the socio-economic background that aid in improving or deterring a student’s academic performance. For example, a student skips school due to the inability to pay school fees. Studies in both children and adults have shown that students from low social economic backgrounds are more likely to perform poorly academically (Ahmar & Anwar, 2013, and Duan, Guan, & Bu, 2018). Investigating this problem is crucial for numerous reasons. Conducting a scientific inquiry may help to fill gap in the research and bring attention to controversies and debates on the topic. In addition, the findings generated from the study may spark further research thus expanding the current body of research. A further rationale for investigating this topic is that policymakers in the United States may gain an understanding of the effect of an American students’ socioeconomic background on their academic performance. This may in turn help authorities realize the need for policies and programs to address any negative link between low socioeconomic status among the Hispanics and their students’ academic performance.
Research Proposition
The central research question that this study aims to answer is: Is there a noteworthy relationship between students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and their academic performance? This study will also address the following research sub-questions:
1. What are the impacts of socioeconomic status on academic achievement?
2. What are the mechanisms of transmission involved in the link between socioeconomic status and student's school performance?
3. What impacts do the effects of socioeconomic background on school performance and their mode of transmission have on school programs and policies?
Transmission refers to the transfer of the socioeconomic challenges/advantages to the academic performance of the students. This mixed methods study will use blend of positivist and interpretivist approach, and a within-subjects research design. This design is the best fit considering that it will allow the researcher to address both the qualitative and quantitative aspect of the study. The primary population of interest is male and female college students, who are 18 years and older attending one of the schools in Escondido, California with the focus being on those learning centers that have embraced diversity and inclusivity. Simple random sampling, which provides each member of the targeted population a chance to become a member of the sample, will be used to select a sample of 100 students. Qualitative data will be collected using probing questionnaire survey. Polit and Beck (2004) claim that in-depth responses, which the questionnaire affords, are beneficial, as they allow the investigator to gain an entrance into the respondents’ world, thereby, having full access to their encounters as lived. To collect the quantitative data, the records on combined income of the parents of the students will be derived. The students will also undertake language test and their performance scored. Consequently, the income records will be correlated using Pearson r test with the test scores to determine the relationship between SES and GAP.
Literature Review
Socioeconomic Statuses, Gender, and Academic Performance
The degree of empirical evidence on the connection between a learner’s socio-economic background and their academic performance is burgeoning. One of the most relevant studies is one performed by Ghaemi and Yazdanpanah’s (2014) in which the purpose was to establish the effects of socioeconomic status on the academic performance of the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) sophomore learners. To accomplish this objective, the researchers sampled 120 students who studied English translation at the National University of Rafsanjan in Iran. The researchers used a convenient sample with participants ranging from 19 to 29 years of age. The researchers used a questionnaire to collect the data which they included questions regarding demographic issues (e.g. parents' education levels and income among others). The researchers found that socioeconomic status and academic performance among junior university students correlated negatively. However, the outcomes are different for the mid/high SES students. What the researchers meant was that the socioeconomic class from which junior university students belonged to did not have any effect on their academic performance. However, for the mid/high SES students, the socioeconomic class of the learners was a major influencing factor in their academic performance.
Tomul and Polat (2013) investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status of tertiary education learners on their educational attainment and the association of the underlying determinants. The researchers sampled 691 undergraduate senior students enrolled in the Süleyman Demirel University. Tomul and Polat (2013) used weighted quantitative composite scores