Socioeconomic status and student voice: implications for academic outcomes and well-being in Vietnamese universities

This study investigates how socioeconomic status (SES) impacts student voice (SV) and its intermediary role in the relationship between SES, academic outcomes (AO), and well-being (WB) in Vietnamese educational settings. The research employed a cross-sectional design and a simple random sampling technique. Questionnaires were administered to 1171 students from nine Thai Nguyen universities, Vietnam. The study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data. Results showed significant correlations between factors: SES and AO; SES and WB. Moreover, SV appeared to mediate the relationships between SES and AO, and SES and WB. However, the moderating effects of gender and grade level on the relationships between SV and AO, and SV and WB were insignificant. We argue that advocating for SV in educational settings can positively influence the relationship between SES and AO. Specifically, our findings suggest that enhancing student voice may help mitigate the effects of lower SES on AO and WB. The research suggests implications for educational policy and practices in Vietnamese educational and similar contexts.