AERA Annual Meeting (Canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic), Date: 2020/04/17 - 2020/04/21, Location: San Francisco (CA), USA

Publication date: 2020-04-19

Author:

Nicaise, Ides
Franck, Emilie ; Stancel-Piatak, Agnes

Abstract:

Perspective(s) or theoretical framework Since the “Coleman Report”, many governments have designed policy reforms to tackle educational inequalities. Despite these efforts, international studies confirm consistently the persistence of social inequalities in education systems across the world. The degree in which these educational inequalities exist differs, however, considerably across countries (OECD, 2019). Many studies on student learning have focused on how student- and school-level factors can explain these existing differences. Yet, little is known about which system-level variables are related to the degree of educational equity (Strietholt et al., 2019). Objectives or purposes Our paper focuses on analyzing which system-level variables are associated with socioeconomic educational equity. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work This information is valuable especially for education policy and system monitoring as it is an indication of the extent to which policies directed towards diminishing educational inequities are effective. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry Multilevel models are estimated. In the first model, schools are clustered within education systems and the within-school level of socioeconomic equity (measured by the correlation between students’ SES and their mathematics performance estimated for each school) will serve as the dependent variable. In the second model, students are clustered within education systems and students’ mathematics performance are used as dependent variable. To estimate which system-level variables are correlated with socioeconomic equity at student level, cross-level interaction terms between students’ SES and system-level variables are included. Weights and plausible values are used. Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) data are combined with other system-level indicators borrowed from several sources. In total, 75 countries are included. Based on the review of research results (Strietholt et al., 2019) the most prominent system-level characteristics were selected from World Bank, UNDP, Eurydice, Unesco and OECD. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view Preliminary results show that a few system-level factors (for example the degree of segregation and school competition) are positively correlated with the socioeconomic inequity at student and/or school level. Other system-level factors (for example the tracking age) are negatively associated with the level of socioeconomic inequity. Finally, several other system-level factors (such as the frequency of grade repetition, instructional time or expenditure on education) are not related to the socioeconomic inequity at student and school level. In sum, several system-level variables are significantly associated with the degree of socioeconomic equity at the school and individual level. This shows that policy actions directed towards changing system-level factors, can be effective measures to mitigate social inequalities.