SES–learning effect sizes did not differ by SES indicator or outcome type in an umbrella review's meta-regressions; differences by grade level and study year rested on one or two effect sizes¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Meta-regressions found no significant difference in SES effect sizes by SES indicator (parental education, occupational status, family income, home resources; k = 39) or by outcome type (languages versus STEM; k = 23), and none for secondary or high school compared with kindergarten-elementary students; effects were larger for university students (two effect sizes) and in 1950–1959 than before 1950 (one effect size per decade before 1990), both read with caution by the author. → Tan 2024

Evidence¶

Tan 2024¶

Tan, C. Y. (2024). Socioeconomic Status and Student Learning: Insights from an Umbrella Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09929-3

q2 · i? · quant-synthesis · r2

The second-order meta-analysis included four moderator variables: types of SES indicators (parental education, occupational status, family income, home resources), outcome types (language, STEM), grade levels, and year of primary studies. Meta-regressions tested whether effect sizes varied across these moderators (Table 4). SES indicator type did not matter (F(3,35) = 0.20; occupational status β = -0.01, family income β = -0.01, home resources β = 0.02, each against parental education), nor did language versus STEM outcomes (β = -0.00, p = 0.93). By grade level, secondary (β = 0.02, p = 0.74) and high school (β = -0.01, p = 0.94) did not differ from kindergarten-elementary; university students showed larger effects (β = 0.27, p < 0.05) on only two effect sizes. Across time, 1950–1959 was higher than before 1950 (β = 0.17, p < 0.05) and 1960–2000s did not differ, with only one effect size per decade before 1990.

"Meta-regressions were performed to examine whether SES effect sizes varied with types of SES indicators, types of students’ learning outcomes and grade levels, and year of primary studies."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Socioeconomic Status — predictor: outcomes differ by group: a gap reflecting circumstances and treatment, not a cause

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