Carrying More Than Books: Pursuing Education Under Socio-Cultural Constraints Among Children from Low-Income Households

Low academic success among children from low-income families remains a concern in education. I explored the academic success as shaped by Socio-cultural capital condition of the family. Eight (8) students aged 13–16 were purposively selected and interviewed. Through thematic analysis I found that socio-cultural conditions operated through family support and sacrifice, shared household responsibilities, and peer influence, which collectively structured students’ academic success. These conditions were reflected in difficulties in task completion, management of academic responsibilities, and participation in learning activities, while limited resources and family responsibilities functioned as barriers to access and engagement. Future studies may apply multiple linear regression to determine the predictive influence of socio-cultural conditions, school and learning activities, and their manifestations on students’ academic success. Researchers may also use Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to develop and validate an instrument and questionnaire using the themes as variables and the sub-themes as indicators.