Poster

[1Z118] An Analysis of the Influence of Sociolinguistic Factors on Primary School Students’ Academic Achievements in Lao PDR

*Jiling YAO¹ (1. Kobe University)

Keywords:household / ethnic minority language, family SES, parental involvement, mediation effect, Lao PDR

Current research primarily focuses on the influence of various factors on eventual educational achievement, particularly in higher education. However, it is crucial to recognize that educational attainment is an ongoing process, where early achievements cumulatively and probabilistically influence later success. Without access to high-quality primary education, the likelihood of progressing to higher education is significantly diminished. Furthermore, from a human capital perspective, the social return ratio in primary education is the highest compared to other educational stages, especially in low- and middle-income countries. On the other hand, Philippine Daily Inquirer (2023) showcased the average scores in mathematics, reading, and writing among fifth-grade students from six Southeast Asian countries, with Laos consistently ranking last. This highlights the necessity to investigate the potential rationale. Previous studies have reported mixed results regarding the influence of sociolinguistic factors on primary students' academic achievement. Moreover, in the context of Laos, there are very few studies that focus on the influence of parental involvement on low SES and high SES families, as well as the specific effect sizes for each. Therefore, based on the SEA-PLM 2019 data, this study employs Ordinary Least Squares and mediation analysis to evaluate the influence of sociolinguistic factors on primary students' academic performance and the mediating effect of parental involvement separately. This study highlights a significant positive correlation between high SES families and students' academic achievement. Additionally, when the household language aligns with the instructional language, there is a statistically significant positive correlation with students' academic achievement. When parental involvement is included as a mediating variable, it is found to have a positive moderating effect on students' academic performance for both high SES and low SES families. Notably, the moderating effect is more pronounced for low SES families compared to high SES families. These findings suggest that in Laos, parental involvement fosters primary students’ academic achievement. Moreover, for low SES families, parental involvement can mitigate the educational disparities caused by differences in sociolinguistic factors.