The effect of the types of capital possessed by science and art center student families on the educational status of students: The Bingöl example

This study aims to examine the educational outcomes of students studying at the Science and Art Center (BİLSEM) in Bingöl province, in terms of the types of social capital possessed by their families. The research was fundamentally shaped by seeking and generating answers to the question, "What is the impact of the social capital of the families of BİLSEM students in determining their academic success?" A correlational survey and cross-sectional design were chosen as the research model, and the five-dimensional social capital scale developed by Uçar (2016) was used as the data collection tool. These dimensions are: strategic trust, generalized trust, institutional trust, shared values, and group belonging. The survey was administered to a sample group of 192 families of students attending Bingöl BİLSEM via online and face-to-face methods. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, multiple regression, advanced analyses, comparative analyses, non-parametric tests, and hierarchical modeling using SPSS version 27.0; Basic Functional and Statistical Analyses package program. The findings revealed that students' participation in academic activities (especially value-added activities such as projects and competitions) is largely determined by the levels of cultural and economic capital possessed by their families. While a father's level of education stands out as one of the strongest predictors of students' academic participation, an unemployed mother significantly reduced participation levels. Family income has also been identified as a determining source of inequality in students' access to educational opportunities. This has been discussed in the sociological literature within the framework of Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital and reproduction and Coleman's social capital approach, concluding that not only individual effort but also a suitable social and economic environment are necessary for talent and success to flourish. The findings also indicate that the sample group had high levels of bonding social capital, while their level of bridging social capital was low. This suggests that students with a strong internal support network face limitations in accessing the external environment and alternative opportunities. In particular, low generalized trust scores indicate that families are closed to external social networks and interaction with different institutional structures, which indirectly limits students' participation in educational diversity and development areas. Another striking finding is that institutional trust levels are directly related to the socio-economic status of the family. While educated families belonging to higher income groups have higher trust in public institutions, it has been observed that this trust also positively affects the relationship between children and schools and the participation of families in the educational process. The research has limitations in that it is limited to Bingöl province, has quantitative data, and has difficulty explaining cause-effect relationships with a cross-sectional analysis. Despite these limitations, the study reveals how educational opportunities in elite institutions such as BİLSEM are unequally distributed through social capital, and offers important outcomes in terms of guidance services, family support programs, and regional education policies. This thesis reveals that the development of gifted individuals is deeply dependent not only on individual qualities but also on the social, cultural and economic capital possessed by their families; He strongly argues that the way to achieve equality in education is to take into account not only institutional structures but also family-based social relations and capital distribution.