Educational Poverty and Academic Achievement
A Meta-Analysis Exploring Contextual Moderators and Policy Implications
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22045859 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sasan Karamizadeh (0000-0001-9445-8044, Islamic Azad University of Damavand, corresponding author), Saman Shojae Chaeikar (0000-0002-2958-6901, University of Technology Sydney, corresponding author), Hamidreza Salarian (University of Technology Sydney) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 1083 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-06 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16071083 |
| OpenAlex | W7167510919 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
This comprehensive meta-analysis reviews 45 studies published from 2000 to 2024 that use quantitative methods to examine how educational poverty—limited resources, poor-quality teaching, and disadvantaged school settings—affects students’ academic outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models to account for variability across studies. Educational poverty was associated with a moderate, significant negative impact on achievement (Hedges’ g = −0.45, 95% CI: −0.50 to −0.40); this likely reflects a performance gap of about 10–15% between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. Variability across studies led to subgroup and meta-regression analyses. The negative effects were more pronounced for primary students (g = −0.50) than secondary students, especially in high-inequality regions like North America (g = −0.55), and were largest for cognitive outcomes such as standardized test scores (g = −0.50), compared to non-cognitive metrics like attendance and graduation. Meta-regression showed that location, age group, and outcome type significantly affected effect sizes. Sensitivity tests and bias assessments confirmed consistent results. Overall, the studies highlight that educational poverty remains a major barrier to academic success, with the strongest effects seen early in education. These findings underscore the importance of early, targeted, and context-specific policies to reduce inequalities and improve learning conditions for underprivileged students
Academic achievement · Attendance · Disadvantage · Disadvantaged · Educational attainment · Inequality · Poverty · Standardized test · Early Childhood Education and Development · Parental Involvement in Education · School Choice and Performance
The Deepening Divide
Association of Child Poverty, Brain Development, and Academic Achievement
The effect of peer socioeconomic status on student achievement
The changes we need
The PRISMA 2020 statement
Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement
Unequal Help
A meta-analysis of socioeconomic differences in writing achievement
A meta-analysis on the effect of technology on the achievement of less advantaged students
The Covid Effect
Starting Well
A re- view of educational inequalities
Effectiveness of Poverty Reduction Programs on Psychological Development of Children and Adolescents at Risk of Poverty
Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education – where are the educators
The association between family socioeconomic status and academic achievement
Meta-analytical insights on school SES effects
Reconsidering Political and Popular Understandings of the Digital Divide
| Highly cited | No |
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