Disentangling the Web of Marginalization: A Multigroup SEM Study on Social and Academic Inequality in Danish Public Schools

Abstract

This study examined the variable relationships among four factors and school liking, controlling for gender, grade level, and maternal educational level. Repeated cross-sectional survey data from Danish public schools were analyzed across three measurement points (2015, 2017, and 2019) using multigroup structural equation modeling. Responses of students (Grades 0–3; ages 6–9), class teachers, and parents were analyzed in conjunction. The results revealed a strong association between adaptation to school norms and academic performance. Notably, girls demonstrated easier adaptation to school norms than boys, partly explaining the prevalent gender gap in academic performance. Furthermore, a positive association was found between classroom inclusion and school liking, indicating that socially marginalized students experience lower well-being. Finally, the parental community was associated with classroom inclusion, suggesting that strengthened cooperation among parents can protect students from social marginalization in the classroom. The findings emphasize the significance of students’ social skills for both academic performance and classroom inclusion, and also the importance of classroom inclusion for student well-being.