Abstract: France exhibits some of the largest educational inequalities related to socio-economic status (SES) among OECD countries, observable from the onset of compulsory schooling. While international meta-analyses report moderate associations between SES and academic achievement, French data indicate a particularly pronounced effect. Simultaneously, transversal skills—including reasoning ability, executive functions, metacognition and socio-emotional skills—have been identified as key predictors of academic achievement and potential mediators of SES effects. However, these mechanisms have been examined in isolated studies, rarely integrated within a developmental perspective. This presentation presents a doctoral project that adopts a longitudinal and multisource approach to systematically investigate the predictive and mediating roles of transversal skills in the SES–academic achievement link. The project aims to clarify the developmental pathways through which SES shapes academic outcomes and to identify priority targets for intervention. Furthermore, complementary studies on academic resilience will be proposed to better understand why some students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed despite adversity, and to identify protective factors that may compensate for initial socio-economic disadvantages.
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