Schoon, Ingrid; Mele, Francesca; Burger, Kaspar; (2025) Academic agency and educational attainment: The intersection of SES, ethnicity and sex. Learning and Individual Differences , 120 , Article 102689. 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102689.

Text RPS MANUSCRIPT.FIN_Academic agency, SES and Educational attainment.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 7 April 2026. Download (1MB)

Abstract

Drawing on the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE; n = 15,770), this study assesses the role of academic agency (an aspect of self-directed engagement with learning and education) in enabling socioeconomically disadvantaged youth to complete secondary education. Academic agency is operationalised as a multi-dimensional construct, comprising education expectations, academic self-concept, and school engagement. The findings suggest that academic agency can act as an independent resource, over and above family socioeconomic status (indicated by parental education and social class). There was also evidence of resource substitution, i.e., academic agency reduces the risk of low educational attainment for those with few family socioeconomic resources. Moreover, there is evidence of ‘ethnic capital’ as ethnic minority youth with high academic expectations were more likely to achieve key educational milestones. The results are discussed regarding interlinked inequalities of sex, minority status, and family socioeconomic status.

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