Bridging scholarly habitus and lifeworlds: Insights into educational structures and children’s experiences

Abstract

This article explores factors in children’s lifeworlds that influence academic success, focussing on schooling structures and policies in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. It provides context on early childhood education sectors in each location, highlighting formal learning experiences prior to primary school. By examining diverse educational policies and systems, the article fosters a deeper understanding of how children’s attitudes, dispositions, sense of belonging and educational success vary according to their scholarly habitus. It emphasises the range and variances within these systems and their potential impact on children’s academic engagement through the theoretical lens of Bourdieu. The findings contribute to childhood studies, shedding light on why students in different regions perform differently in high-stakes assessments. It underscores the connections between location, extracurricular activities, school engagement and scholarly habitus in shaping educational outcomes.