CULTURAL CAPITAL, STUDY HABITS, AND EARLY ENGLISH ACHIEVEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM ALGERIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study investigates how cultural capital and study habits influence fifth-year primary school pupils’ performance in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in El-Kantara, Algeria. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, we employed an explanatory mixed-methods design combining structural equation modeling (SEM) of survey data (n = 532) with thematic analysis of teacher interviews. Results indicate that objectified cultural capital (books, digital tools, learning spaces) exerts the strongest direct effect on EFL outcomes, while institutionalized (parental education, occupational status) and embodied capital (language routines, parental involvement) also make significant contributions, primarily through their influence on study habits. Study habits emerged as a powerful mediator, linking family resources to classroom achievement. Qualitative findings illuminated these dynamics by revealing how access to resources fosters engagement, how family discipline shapes preparedness, and how French English hierarchies affect motivation. Together, the results demonstrate that EFL achievement cannot be understood solely through individual effort or pedagogical factors, but rather through the unequal distribution of cultural resources in early schooling. We believe that this study can contribute to debates on cultural capital by extending its application to a multilingual North African context, while offering implications for policy aimed at reducing educational inequalities.