The intersectionality of school and student factors in predicting academic achievement

Scientific Conference (2023, August 22)

For several decades, sociological research has studied determinants of educational inequalities, whereby most researches have focused on individual students’ characteristics (e.g., Boudon, 1974; Bourdieu ... [more ▼]

For several decades, sociological research has studied determinants of educational inequalities, whereby most researches have focused on individual students’ characteristics (e.g., Boudon, 1974; Bourdieu, 1984), though others also considered system variables such as school composition and segregation (e.g., Jencks, 1974). However, few studies have addressed the possible interaction of system and student characteristics in relation to student academic outcomes (Gross et al., 2016). Educational inequalities in Luxembourg – with a highly stratified, multilingual education system, further characterised by a large proportion of students with a 1st or 2nd generation migrant status - are related to student characteristics (i.e., socio-economic status and migration status) (e.g., Lenz & Heinz, 2018) as well as schools’ social composition (Martins & Veiga, 2010). The present study aimed to investigate especial the intersectional impact of students´ academic and socio-demographic characteristics, school composition and school tracks on students’ academic performance in Luxembourg. It draws on longitudinal data collected as part of the Luxembourg school monitoring programme “Épreuves Standardisées” (ÉpStan; Fischbach et al., 2014) and included all students enrolled in public education Grade 3 (November 2013) matched with data from the same students in Grade 9 (November 2017-2021) including those repeating once or twice (N≈3600). Results of multilevel mixed effects regression analyses show that both Math and language achievement in Grade 9 is affected by student characteristics (gender, SES, migration background and prior achievement), as well as by the school track and school composition (i.e., percentage of Low SES families in 3rd Grade). In addition, some cross-level interaction effects were found. For example, results show that after controlling for prior performance and other individual characteristics, the gender gap in math achievement is more pronounced in the higher than in the middle school track. These results indicate that not only student and system variables, but also their intersectionality affect student achievement outcomes. More specifically, accounting for socio-demographic student characteristics and prior achievement, our results demonstrate a long-term effect of school composition on students´ educational pathways. Student and system characteristics have a direct effect on academic achievement as well as an indirect effect via school tracking. Furthermore, student and system variables interact such that achievement differences between certain groups of students (e.g., boys) may be exacerbated by system characteristics (i.e., school composition). Results will be discussed in relation to theory as well as their possible implications for tailored policy making. References Boudon, R. (1974). Education, opportunity and social inequality: changing prospects in Western society. Wiley. Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the Judgement of taste (translated by R. Nice). Harvard University Press. Fischbach, A., Ugen, S., & Martin, R. (2014). ÉpStan Technical Report. University of Luxembourg ECCS research unit/LUCET. www.epstan.lu Gross, C., Gottburgsen, A., & Phoenix, A. (2016). Education systems and intersectionality. In A. Hadjar & C. Gross (Eds.), Education systems and inequalities (pp. 51–72). Policy Press. Jencks, C. (1974). Inequality: A re-assessment of the effect of family and schooling in America. Lane. Lenz, T., & Heinz, A. (2018). Das Luxemburgische Schulsystem: Einblicke und Trends. In T. Lentz, I. Baumann, & A. Küpper. (Eds.), Nationaler Bildungsbericht Luxemburg 2018 (pp. 22–34). Université du Luxembourg (LUCET) & SCRIPT. Martins, L., & Veiga, P. (2010). Do inequalities in parents’ education play an important role in PISA students’ mathematics achievement test score disparities? Economics of Education Review, 29(6), 1016–1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2010.05.001 [less ▲]

School tracking in Luxembourg: the longitudinal impact of student characteristics and school composition

Scientific Conference (2022, December 05)

Research question: The current study aimed to investigate the influence of student and school level factors on school tracking in secondary education. We were especially interested in the association ... [more ▼]

Research question: The current study aimed to investigate the influence of student and school level factors on school tracking in secondary education. We were especially interested in the association between student characteristics and school composition in Grade 3 and school track in Grade 9. Data source: Data were collected as part of the Luxembourg school monitoring programme “Épreuves Standardisées” (ÉpStan; Fischbach et al., 2014). The study cohort include all students enrolled in the Luxembourg public education system in Grade 3 in November 2013 combined with data from the same students in Grade 9 in November 2017-2019 for students following advanced or regular educational pathways, completed with data from November 2020 and 2021 for students that repeated once or twice (N≈3600). Theoretical approach: The study draws upon theoretical frameworks and empirical findings (e.g., Boudon, 1974; Bourdieu, 1984), that have demonstrated students´ socio-demographic characteristics are associated with (dis)advantages for specific groups of students in education systems as well as more recent work focusing on school composition (e.g., Baumert et al., 2006), especially as tracked school systems are known to be prone to social segregation (e.g., Hadjar & Gross, 2016). To date, most research on school segregation in tracked education systems such as Luxembourg has focused on individual student´s characteristics. However, with increasing heterogeneity of student cohorts and known differences in educational opportunities related to the social and ethnic composition of the school’s student body (e.g., Thrupp et al., 2002), the current research extents the existing literature by considering both individual (including prior academic achievement and socio-demographic characteristics) and school level factors (mean academic level and percentage of students from lower socio-economic and migration background) in predicting school track placement. Main findings: Results of a multilevel random effect logistic regression analysis in which we estimated marginal effects on the probability to be placed in the highest, middle or lowest track in Luxembourg show that even after controlling for student´s academic achievement, track placement is affected by the gender and socio-economic background of the student, whereby boys and students from low SES families have less chance to be placed in the highest track. The association with socio-economic background is not only visible on the student level but also on school level, whereby students attending primary schools with a higher percentage of low SES families have less chance to be orientated to the higher track compared to the middle track, regardless of the student´ individual academic performance. [less ▲]

Ungleichheiten in schulischen Gesundheitsproblemen und subjektivem Wohlbefinden bei luxemburgischen Grund- und Sekundarschüler/innen

in Heinen, Andreas; Samuel, Robin; Willems, Helmut Erich (Eds.) et al Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit im Jugendalter. Theoretische Perspektiven, empirische Befunde und Praxis (2022)

School Alienation Among Adolescents in Switzerland and Luxembourg: The Role of Parent and Peer Supportive Attitudes Toward School and Teacher Autonomy Support

in Youth and Society (2021), early online

Prior research has shown that socialization agents such as parents, peers, and teachers can play a significant role in adolescents’ educational outcomes, both through direct support or indirectly via ... [more ▼]

Prior research has shown that socialization agents such as parents, peers, and teachers can play a significant role in adolescents’ educational outcomes, both through direct support or indirectly via supportive attitudes that foster students’ bonding to school and academic motivation. However, less is known about the effects of parent and peer supportive attitudes and teacher autonomy support on unfavorable educational outcomes such as school alienation. This study investigated the role of socialization agents in the development of school alienation among 544 secondary school students in Switzerland and 535 secondary school students in Luxembourg in grades 7 to 9. Results of structural equation modeling showed that the role of socialization agents varies across the school alienation domains and educational contexts, with peers having the most substantial impact on all three domains of alienation in both countries. [less ▲]

Analyzing Drawings to Explore children’s Concepts of an Ideal School: Implications for the Improvement of children’s Well-Being at School

in Child Indicators Research (2019), early online

Because not much is known about children’s subjective well-being (SWB) in educational spaces, our objective was to analyze children’s drawings of their ideal school environment, emphasizing the importance ... [more ▼]

Because not much is known about children’s subjective well-being (SWB) in educational spaces, our objective was to analyze children’s drawings of their ideal school environment, emphasizing the importance of obtaining the children’s perspective. To do so, we analyzed Luxembourgish primary school children’s drawings (n = 150; age 10) using visual grounded theory methodology. The results were centered on 10 main underlying themes that indicated children’s conceptualizations of their dream school in which particular attention was paid to the design of the school buildings, playgrounds, and classrooms. Children’s written inputs showed the boundaries of visual expression, as they mentioned different desires beyond those conveyed by the drawings. In addition to fancy aesthetics of the school environment, material conditions such as playground facilities were found to be a significant part of the children’s dream schools. Our analyses offer meaningful insights into children’s perceptions of an educational environment that fosters well-being, thereby functioning as a blueprint for adults’ efforts to improve schools in a more child-friendly manner. [less ▲]