The Impact of Socio-Economic Status on the Academic Achievement of High School Students: A Study on Access, Performance,and Aspiration

The current study entitled, “The Impact of Socio-Economic Status on the Academic Achievement of High
School Students: A Study on the Access, Performance, and Aspiration,” examines the connection between socioeconomic
status (SES) and three major educational outcomes: access to educational resources, educational
performance, and educational aspirations. The study was conducted among 230 students in high school grades
IX and X (135 boys and 95 girls) from urban and rural schools through stratified random sampling. Data was
gathered using a structured questionnaire with the aid of academic performance records. The questionnaire
assessed indicators like the accessibility of educational resources (including study aids, technology, and
educational support from parents), academic performance which was indexed on a cumulative score, and future
aspirations which were defined as prospective careers and higher education. Participant socio-economic status
was determined using the revised Kuppuswamy’s Socio-Economic Scale. Comparison of academic performance
by sex using two-way ANOVA showed no significant interaction of gender and SES on performance (F(1,228) =
1.36, p > 0.05), although more girls had higher overall aspirations (Mean = 4.12) than boys (Mean = 3.98). This
situation calls for equitable educational policies, structural changes in scholarship imposition, and targeted
resource provision to aid low-SES students, as socio-economic factors heavily dominate educational access,
performance, and aspirations.