CULTURAL SOCIALIZATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ITS IMPACT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: A THEORETICAL APPROACH IN THE ALGERIAN CONTEXT

Abstract Academic achievement is often approached as the result of individual intelligence, pedagogical quality, motivation, or school organization. However, such explanations remain incomplete if they neglect the cultural environment in which students are socialized before and during their schooling. This theoretical article examines the relationship between cultural socialization and academic achievement among secondary school students in Algeria. It argues that students do not enter school as culturally neutral individuals; rather, they bring with them values, linguistic practices, family expectations, social representations, study habits, and symbolic attitudes toward knowledge, school, success, and the future. These cultural resources may facilitate academic integration and achievement, but they may also produce distance from school norms when there is a gap between the cultural world of the student and the expectations of the educational institution. The article develops a conceptual discussion of cultural socialization, academic achievement, and secondary education, while situating the analysis within the Algerian sociocultural context. It highlights the role of family, school, peer groups, media, digital culture, language, and broader social transformations in shaping students’ educational trajectories. The article concludes that academic achievement should not be understood only as an individual or pedagogical outcome, but also as a cultural and social product. Improving academic achievement in secondary education therefore requires a broader understanding of students’ cultural backgrounds and a stronger connection between family, school, and society. Keywords: cultural socialization; academic achievement; secondary education; Algerian school; family culture; educational success; social representations; school integration.