Rethinking Cultural Capital among Secondary Stage Students for Educational Equity and Academic Achievement

Abstract

Cultural capital has become an important sociological concept in explaining educational inequalities and student achievement outcomes. Based on Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction, cultural capital describes the ways in which students’ educational opportunities and academic success are influenced by their family background, social environment, and institutional structures. Its function in secondary education has been under increased examination in recent years, notably in explaining variations in educational equity and academic achievement of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This study provides a review of the literature of the existing research on cultural capital among secondary stage students with a focus on its relation to educational equity and academic achievement. Following relevant studies were sought in major academic databases including Scopus and Google Scholar using pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study synthesises data from theoretical, empirical and methodological perspectives on how cultural capital is conceptualised, assessed and operationalised in research on secondary education. The analysis of reviews exposes that embodied, objectified, and institutionalized forms of cultural capital significantly impact students’ academic engagement, learning outcomes, and educational success.