Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Schoolwork Engagement in Adolescence: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review tests the assumption that socioeconomically disadvantaged adolescents tend to engage less in their schoolwork. Of the 779 records identified across eight databases, 18 met inclusion criteria of schoolwork engagement as a measured outcome or study focus, and socioeconomic disadvantage as a predictor, sample, or setting. A total sample of 9,373 adolescents were included across 11 quantitative studies, four qualitative studies, and three mixed-methods studies. The synthesis of results on whether socioeconomic disadvantage impacted schoolwork engagement were mixed across studies, with some studies finding a connection and others not demonstrating any relationship between the factors. Results further indicated that schoolwork engagement was malleable, and was impacted by individual factors, classroom factors, family and community factors, and interventions, in socioeconomically disadvantaged and mixed samples. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed