The Relationship between Family Social Capital, Parental Involvement in Schools, and Student's Academic Achievement

Social capital is a significant social issue which is a means to attain other forms of capital including economic, human, and cultural capital. Family and education are two realms which can be affected by social capital. The present study aimed to identify the relationship between family social capital, parental involvement in schools, and students’ academic achievement. The theoretical framework of the study is based on Coleman’s theory and some other relevant theories. Parents’ relationships, getting help from parents in case of facing personal problems, interaction with parents, and intimacy are among the indicators used for assessing social capital. The statistical population of the study comprised all high school students in five districts of Tehran (Districts 1, 4, 5, 7 & 12) in school year 2014-2015. For the purpose of sampling, simple random sampling method was utilized and 456 students (151 boys and 305 girls) were selected. The required data were collected through structured interview which was based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire had desirable construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient obtained for the reliability of the questionnaire showed its acceptable reliability. Results revealed that change in social capital had a direct effect on students’ achievement. Furthermore, social capital explains another part of variation in students’ achievement due to parental involvement in schools.