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2025-04-28
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Copyright (c) 2025 Wanyi He, Anuar Bin Ahmad, Nasruddin Yunos, Bingbing Chen

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How to Cite
The relationship between social welfare and educational outcomes among 15-year-old adolescents: The mediating role of social support
Wanyi He
1Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia),43600 UKM Bangi,Selangor, Malaysia. 2North Sichuan College of Preschool Teacher Education,Guangyuan, 628017, China
Anuar Bin Ahmad
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia),43600 UKM Bangi,Selangor, Malaysia
Nasruddin Yunos
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia),43600 UKM Bangi,Selangor, Malaysia
Bingbing Chen
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia),43600 UKM Bangi,Selangor, Malaysia.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i4.3510
Keywords: social welfare; social support; educational outcomes; welfare regimes; mediation effect
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between social welfare and educational outcomes among 15-year-old adolescents, focusing on the mediating role of social support. Using structural equation modeling to analyze PISA 2018 data from 98,562 students across 18 countries representing four welfare regime types, we find that social welfare indicators (social expenditure, income inequality, and child poverty rates) significantly relate to educational outcomes (academic achievement, school engagement, and educational aspirations), with 40-67% of these relationships mediated through social support. Different sources of support serve distinct functions: family support most strongly mediates effects on academic achievement and educational aspirations, teacher support is most crucial for school engagement, while peer support shows smaller but significant effects across outcomes. The mediating role of social support varies across welfare regimes, being strongest in social democratic countries and weakest in Southern European countries. Additionally, social support plays a particularly important role for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, especially in social democratic countries, suggesting it may serve as a key mechanism for mitigating educational inequalities. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating social welfare and educational policies to create environments that foster supportive relationships and promote educational success among adolescents.
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