Title: National Variation in the Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Student Learning: Inequality and Stratification in Comparative Perspective
Abstract: In the United States, education is widely
thought of as the “great equalizer” (Mann 1848), functioning to
improve economic and social status. Sociological literature,
however, indicates that family background is a stronger predictor
of student achievement than are schools themselves. In many cases,
low socioeconomic status students have a disadvantage that cannot
be overcome by schools, and family socioeconomic status, not merit,
often determines student academic success. This research considers
how family socioeconomic status, school factors, and structural
characteristics of nations interact in order to produce educational
stratification. It argues and finds support for the idea that since
national social organization and government policy vary, the
effects of socioeconomic status on achievement also vary on a
cross-national basis. Moreover, the dissertation argues that
certain social organization and governmental policies of nations
create mechanisms by which socioeconomic status
influences student achievement. These mechanisms have the potential
to create circumstances whereby socioeconomically advantaged
individuals are able to obtain greater benefits from schooling than
their socioeconomically disadvantaged peers. The dissertation
applies hierarchical linear models (HLM) to data from twenty-nine
nations to explore how a number of structural characteristics of
nations, including national education policy, social welfare
policy, and societal inequality, influence the relationship between
socioeconomic status and student achievement. Results confirm that
policies and characteristics of nations do indeed have the
potential to influence the relationship between socioeconomic
status and student learning. Specifically, I find that countries
with educational policies which aim to provide equal learning
opportunities to all students have a weaker link between student
socioeconomic status and learning outcomes, as do countries with
more liberal social welfare policies. Further, I find that there is
a curvilinear relationship in the effect of income inequality on
the relationship between socioeconomic status and learning. These
findings of strong macro-level influences on student achievement
have the potential to advance the objective of equal educational
opportunities for all students, as they suggest ways to break the
link between socioeconomic background and learning
outcomes.
Publication Year: 2007
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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