Putting cultural mismatch theory to the test: Cultural fit of self-construal in predicting student outcomes

Abstract

Socioeconomic and ethnicity-based achievement gaps plague education. Both sociological theories and recent social-psychological work consider cultural mismatches between schools’ and students’ ways of being and relating (i.e., self-construal) as a potential mechanism. However, stringent empirical evidence remains lacking. Drawing on a sample of 5076 Belgian adolescents, this study aims to provide rigorous and robust novel evidence by (i) establishing high SES and ethnic majority group average patterns of self in relation to their teacher; (ii) calculating students’ ‘fit’ with these dominant group's patterns; and (iii) linking fit indices to objective and subjective achievement scores. As expected, fit with both high-SES and ethnic majority self-patterns were significantly positively related to achievement. Our findings suggest hitherto less visible systemic barriers to equal attainment due to engrained school practices that selectively value and reward majority middle-class self-ways. One way to promote equity in education is recognising and reforming such practices in schools.