Institutional Culture, Home Culture, and Students’ Academic Performance in Educational Institutions: A Comparative Analysis.

Educational

This article examined the influence of institutional culture and home culture on students’ academic performance in educational institutions through a comparative analysis, with particular reference to Uganda. The study was guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital Theory, which together explain how academic outcomes are shaped by the interaction between school and family environments. A qualitative descriptive design was adopted within an interpretivist paradigm, using document study and key informant interviews as the main methods of data collection. The documentary review focused on Ugandan policy, standards, performance, and institutional records, while interviews were conducted with education stakeholders who had direct knowledge of school culture, parental practices, and academic performance. Data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that both institutional culture and home culture significantly influence students’ academic performance. Institutional culture was found to have a more immediate effect through leadership, discipline, supervision, communication, and academic expectations. In contrast, home culture had a more foundational and long-term influence through parental values, discipline, educational support, motivation, and attitudes toward schooling. The study further found that students performed better where institutional culture and home culture were aligned, especially where both settings promoted discipline, academic seriousness, responsibility, and respect for education. Conversely, conflict or mismatch between school and home cultural expectations weakened students’ academic adjustment and performance. The study also established that leadership plays a critical role in shaping institutional culture, while socio economic conditions at home affect the extent to which home culture can support learning. The article concludes that students’ academic performance is best understood as the outcome of the interaction between institutional and home cultural environments. It recommends strengthening school leadership, promoting positive institutional cultures, improving home school collaboration, and supporting parents to create conducive learning environments.

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