研究目的：本研究應用生命歷程理論探索貧窮少年的學業表現，期望回答貧窮家庭的不幸生命事件（包括人口事件與收入事件）對於貧窮少年學業排名的影響，並且也檢視貧窮少年的人類動力在這個過程中所能發揮的效果。研究設計／方法／取徑：本研究藉由路徑分析檢證因果模型所涉及的理論假設，並探討當中的關聯性。分析資料來源是臺灣貧窮兒少資料庫（TDCYP）於2009、2011 與2013 年所進行的三波調查。研究發現或結論：研究結果如下：第一，貧窮家庭所發生的收入事件愈多，貧窮少年對現況滿足程度將會降低，但對未來教育期望反而提升。第二，貧窮少年的人類動力愈強，包括對生活現況的滿足程度愈大、勤學用功的程度愈高、對未來教育的期望愈好時，其學業排名將會愈佳。綜上，本文描繪出影響貧窮少年學業排名的因果路徑：收入事件會激勵貧窮少年對未來教育期望的正向期許，此正向影響將提高後續所能達成的學業排名；但收入事件同時也會促成對現況滿足程度的負向評價，此負向影響將持續發生效果而又削弱後續取得的學業排名。研究原創性／價值：本研究的意義在於證實家庭收入事件將持續累積既有的不平等而對於貧窮少年的學業表現產生影響，但貧窮少年的人類動力是縮小這個劣勢累積歷程的契機。

Purpose This study employed life course theory to investigate the academic achievement of youth in poverty to reflect the impact of unfortunate life events (such as demographic events and income events) on the ranking of the academic performance of youth in poverty, and to examine the effect contributed by the human agency of the youth during this process. Design/methodology/approach Path analysis was adopted to examine the theories and hypotheses in the causal model and to discuss the relationship of them. Three waves of data－2009, 2011, and 2013－were obtained from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty (TDCYP) for analysis. Findings Results are as follows. First, when the amount of income events happening to families in poverty increased, the youth’s satisfaction with the status quo decreased, whereas their expectations regarding future education increased. Second, stronger human agency of the youth in poverty, including high satisfaction toward the status quo in life, studying hard, and positive expectation toward future education, led to higher academic achievement. From the aforementioned observations, this study depicted the causal paths affecting the academic performance rankings of youth in poverty: income events inspired youth in poverty to have positive expectations regarding future education, and this positive impact improved the rankings of their later academic performance. However, income events simultaneously decreased the youth’s satisfaction concerning the status quo, and this negative impact had a lasting effect that worsened the rankings of their later academic performance. Originality/value The study was meaningful in that it verified that family income events tend to exacerbate the existing inequality, and such exacerbation was manifested on the academic achievement of youth in poverty. However, the human agency of the youth in poverty provides an opportunity to ameliorate this accumulated disadvantage.