Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students
Abstract This study examined the relationship between family wealth and school dropout among vocational education students (n = 1,231; mean age=17.81). It investigated whether (1) family affluence and adolescents’ own perceptions and experiences of their family wealth (i.e., perceived family wealth,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | npj Science of Learning |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00189-4 |
| _version_ | 1797578018400501760 |
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| author | Catrin Finkenauer Maartje Boer Jenna Spitzer Dominic Weinberg Kirsten Visser Merel Jonker Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens |
| author_facet | Catrin Finkenauer Maartje Boer Jenna Spitzer Dominic Weinberg Kirsten Visser Merel Jonker Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens |
| author_sort | Catrin Finkenauer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study examined the relationship between family wealth and school dropout among vocational education students (n = 1,231; mean age=17.81). It investigated whether (1) family affluence and adolescents’ own perceptions and experiences of their family wealth (i.e., perceived family wealth, financial scarcity) predict dropout, (2) adolescents’ civic attitudes (i.e., system justification, institutional trust) explain the association between family wealth and school dropout, and (3) trust in teachers buffers against the risk of dropout among students with lower civic attitudes. Multivariate models revealed that financial scarcity predicted dropout. Financial scarcity showed an indirect only effect on dropout through lower institutional trust, but not through system justification. Trust in teachers was neither associated with dropout, nor a moderator. Controlling for mental health problems did not affect these results. This study helps explain how students’ experienced and perceived family wealth can affect their educational attainment, by reducing their trust in social institutions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:17:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-667889fc5a1c45ada502bc2c0db1ec19 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-7936 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:17:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Science of Learning |
| spelling | doaj.art-667889fc5a1c45ada502bc2c0db1ec192023-11-19T12:25:03ZengNature Portfolionpj Science of Learning2056-79362023-09-018111010.1038/s41539-023-00189-4Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational studentsCatrin Finkenauer0Maartje Boer1Jenna Spitzer2Dominic Weinberg3Kirsten Visser4Merel Jonker5Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens6Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Psychology, Utrecht UniversityClinical Child and Family Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University RotterdamDepartment of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Law, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht UniversityDepartment of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht UniversityAbstract This study examined the relationship between family wealth and school dropout among vocational education students (n = 1,231; mean age=17.81). It investigated whether (1) family affluence and adolescents’ own perceptions and experiences of their family wealth (i.e., perceived family wealth, financial scarcity) predict dropout, (2) adolescents’ civic attitudes (i.e., system justification, institutional trust) explain the association between family wealth and school dropout, and (3) trust in teachers buffers against the risk of dropout among students with lower civic attitudes. Multivariate models revealed that financial scarcity predicted dropout. Financial scarcity showed an indirect only effect on dropout through lower institutional trust, but not through system justification. Trust in teachers was neither associated with dropout, nor a moderator. Controlling for mental health problems did not affect these results. This study helps explain how students’ experienced and perceived family wealth can affect their educational attainment, by reducing their trust in social institutions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00189-4 |
| spellingShingle | Catrin Finkenauer Maartje Boer Jenna Spitzer Dominic Weinberg Kirsten Visser Merel Jonker Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students npj Science of Learning |
| title | Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students |
| title_full | Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students |
| title_fullStr | Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students |
| title_short | Examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students |
| title_sort | examining the role of civic attitudes in the link between family wealth and school dropout among tertiary vocational students |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-023-00189-4 |
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