Comparative Effects of Four Dimensions of Social Environment on Academic Achievement: A Structural Regression Perspective

This study investigates the comparative effects of four dimensions of social environment—companionship, encouragement, neighborhood social cohesion, and role models—on academic achievement among preschool education students in vocational colleges in Ganzhou, China. A total of 500 participants completed standardized questionnaires measuring perceptions of social environment and self-reported academic achievement. Multiple regression and structural regression analyses revealed that all four dimensions significantly predicted academic achievement, jointly accounting for 46.4% of the variance. Among them, role models emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by companionship, encouragement, and neighborhood social cohesion. These findings highlight the importance of disaggregating social environment into distinct components to better understand their educational impacts. The study contributes to ecological and social cognitive theories by clarifying how interpersonal and community-level factors influence student performance in under-resourced educational contexts. Practical implications include the promotion of role model programs, peer support initiatives, and emotionally supportive learning environments. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.