An ecological examination of social capital effects on the academic achievement of chinese migrant children

Drawing upon a sample of 772 migrant children and their parents in Shanghai, China, this study employed an ecological framework to investigate how social capital embedded in a range of social contexts (family, school, peer and community) influenced the academic achievement of Chinese migrant children. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the study results suggested that higher levels of family and school social capital were associated with better academic achievement of migrant children. Community social capital did not present a significant direct effect; however, it predicted children's academic performance indirectly through the mediating effects of family and school social capital. Unexpectedly, peer social capital appeared not to be associated with children's academic achievements. This research advances social capital theory by unravelling the mechanism through which multiple dimensions of social capital operate on youth development. The findings imply utilising social capital building as an innovative approach in social work practice and policy to improving the education of migrant children.