Changes in school alienation profiles among secondary school students and the role of teaching style: Results from a longitudinal study in Luxembourg and Switzerland

in International Journal of Educational Research (2020), early online

What students think about school has a major impact on learning and academic achievement. The multi-domain concept of school alienation distinguishes between alienation from learning, from teachers and ... [more ▼]

What students think about school has a major impact on learning and academic achievement. The multi-domain concept of school alienation distinguishes between alienation from learning, from teachers and from classmates. We aim to study a) alienation patterns among secondary school students, b) how school alienation profiles change from year 7 to year 9 and how secondary school students transition between profiles, and c) the role of teaching style for transitions between school alienation profiles. We draw on panel data of secondary school students from Luxembourg and Switzerland. Results of latent profile/latent transition analyses reveal distinct school alienation profiles, country differences and support for the idea that student-oriented, supportive teaching styles might prevent students from transitioning towards more-highly alienated profiles. [less ▲]

Soziale Mobilität

in Bonvin, Jean-Michel; Maeder, Pascal; Knöpfel, Carlo (Eds.) et al Wörterbuch der Schweizer Sozialpolitik (2020)

Students’ trajectories through higher education: a review of quantitative research

in Higher Education (2020), 1099-1118(79), 6

With the increasing availability of high-quality longitudinal data on students in higher education, scholars’ interest in how students proceed through higher education has risen. So far, the research ... [more ▼]

With the increasing availability of high-quality longitudinal data on students in higher education, scholars’ interest in how students proceed through higher education has risen. So far, the research field is diverse in theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. Thus, based on 27 studies published in (higher) education research journals during the past two decades, this literature review provides an overview of the theoretical concepts, methodologies and main empirical findings in the study of students’ trajectories in higher education. The results depict a US dominated research field. Most theoretical frameworks are based on student’s decision-making. Across different country contexts and research designs—ranging from descriptions of student trajectories to studies predicting who engages in which types of trajectories to sequential trajectory reconstruction—we found that historically disadvantaged groups in higher education such as students from low social origin follow less linear and less smooth higher education trajectories. However, while the field of comparative education is growing steadily and may significantly contribute to explaining the link between the realization of students’ opportunities and the way how higher education is designed and implemented both on the national and local level, there were no cross-country comparison studies on higher education trajectories. [less ▲]

The role of future orientations and future life goals in achievement among secondary school students in Switzerland

in Journal of Youth Studies (2019), 22(9), 1184-1201

Focusing on the agency feature of considering the future, we study the role of general future orientations and specific future life goals in educational achievement (Grade Point Average) and related ... [more ▼]

Focusing on the agency feature of considering the future, we study the role of general future orientations and specific future life goals in educational achievement (Grade Point Average) and related educational inequalities. These factors are more remote from the outcome of educational attainment than are such frequently studied predictors as educational aspirations. Our research areas include: a) the link between future orientations and educational achievement; b) the link between certain future life goals (conceptualised along the lines of the values circumplex of Schwartz 1992) and achievement; and c) differences in future orientations and future life goals constituted by social origin and gender. Our analyses are based on a data set of Swiss eighthgraders (N = 772). While information on school marks is of an administrative nature (teachers’ records) and related to the end of the term, all other variables were gathered during term time from the students. However, some of the findings are counter-intuitive, such as anticipation of the future not being positively associated with achievement. Although the results indicate certain disparities in future goals, they only explain some part of the disparities in achievement. [less ▲]

Do students’ language backgrounds explain achievement differences in the Luxembourgish education system?

in Ethnicities (2019), 19(6), 1202-1228

What is the role of students’ language background in school success within the multilingual and highly stratified education system in Luxembourg? Considering achievement differences in terms of the ... [more ▼]

What is the role of students’ language background in school success within the multilingual and highly stratified education system in Luxembourg? Considering achievement differences in terms of the primary effects of social and ethnic origin, we assume that students of a disadvantaged social origin (e.g. working class), with an immigrant background, who speak languages at home other than Luxembourg’s official languages show lower school achievements and are placed into lower school tracks. Analyses are based on the data of Luxembourgish primary (grades 4/5) and secondary students (grades 7/8) from two consecutive survey waves in 2016/2017 (for the international project SASAL – School Alienation in Switzerland and Luxembourg). The results indicate language background has only marginal effects, but social and immigrant origin has stronger effects. [less ▲]

The Crowdsourced Replication Initiative: Investigating Immigration and Social Policy Preferences. Executive Report.

E-print/Working paper (2019)

In an era of mass migration, social scientists, populist parties and social movements raise concerns over the future of immigration-destination societies. What impacts does this have on policy and social ... [more ▼]

In an era of mass migration, social scientists, populist parties and social movements raise concerns over the future of immigration-destination societies. What impacts does this have on policy and social solidarity? Comparative cross-national research, relying mostly on secondary data, has findings in different directions. There is a threat of selective model reporting and lack of replicability. The heterogeneity of countries obscures attempts to clearly define data-generating models. P-hacking and HARKing lurk among standard research practices in this area.This project employs crowdsourcing to address these issues. It draws on replication, deliberation, meta-analysis and harnessing the power of many minds at once. The Crowdsourced Replication Initiative carries two main goals, (a) to better investigate the linkage between immigration and social policy preferences across countries, and (b) to develop crowdsourcing as a social science method. The Executive Report provides short reviews of the area of social policy preferences and immigration, and the methods and impetus behind crowdsourcing plus a description of the entire project. Three main areas of findings will appear in three papers, that are registered as PAPs or in process. [less ▲]

Applying social production function theory to benefits of schooling: the concept of values of education

in British Journal of Sociology of Education (2019), 40(7), 847-867

Many approaches to explaining educational inequalities relate explicitly and implicitly to benefits of education, and rational choice theories in particular consider monetary benefits. We specify a ... [more ▼]

Many approaches to explaining educational inequalities relate explicitly and implicitly to benefits of education, and rational choice theories in particular consider monetary benefits. We specify a concept of the value of education that allows for an empirical analysis of educational benefits, considering both monetary and non-monetary dimensions (instrumental goals) outlined in social production function theory. Our objectives include introducing a sound theoretical framework, the validation of an empirical measurement instrument and an analysis of the differences between certain dimensions of educational values structured by social origin, gender and immigrant background. Analyses are based on a two-wave panel study (SASAL-School Alienation in Switzerland and Luxembourg) carried out in secondary schools in Luxembourg and Switzerland. We distinguish four dimensions within the concept of values of education: stimulation, comfort/status, behavioural confirmation and affection. The different dimensions of the value of education are influenced by gender and immigrant backgrounds in both national settings. [less ▲]

Schulische Kontexte, Schulentfremdung und Bildungsarmut

in Quenzel, Gudrun; Hurrelmann, Klaus (Eds.) Handbuch Bildungsarmut (2019)

The value of education among immigrants and non-immigrants and how this translates into educational aspirations: a comparison of four European countries

in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (2019), 45(5), 711-734

Starting out from the frequent empirical finding that immigrants exhibit higher educational aspirations than non-immigrants, we analyse the role of immigrants’ value of education, i.e. the subjective ... [more ▼]

Starting out from the frequent empirical finding that immigrants exhibit higher educational aspirations than non-immigrants, we analyse the role of immigrants’ value of education, i.e. the subjective belief that education is beneficial for one’s life, in idealistic and realistic educational aspirations in four distinct institutional settings, comparing Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and England. While the first part of the analyses relates to how immigrants differ from non-immigrants in the value they assign to education, the second part centres on country differences considering immigrant integration policies and education systems as crucial factors. A third part relates to the links between the value of education and educational aspirations to gain some insight into how the value of education may contribute to educational decisions. Analyses are based on longitudinal data of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU). While results show that immigrants assign a higher value to education, the value of education does play a minor role in idealistic and realistic educational aspirations. The results of the country comparison are rather ambivalent, including very weak support for the argument that immigrants strive for education to a higher extent in countries with less favourable conditions. [less ▲]

Devoutness to Islam and the Attitudinal Acceptance of Political Violence Among Young Muslims in Germany

in Political Psychology (2019), 40(2), 205-222

This article investigates the links between religious beliefs and capitalist mentalities—namely devoutness to Islam and hierarchic self-interest (HSI)—and violence-accepting attitudes among the young ... [more ▼]

This article investigates the links between religious beliefs and capitalist mentalities—namely devoutness to Islam and hierarchic self-interest (HSI)—and violence-accepting attitudes among the young Muslim migrant population in Germany. Following a situational perspective, these links are analyzed under different individual conditions structured by (socioeconomic) precariousness and education. Based on framing approaches and concepts from socialization theory, we derive the following hypothesis: The links between religious beliefs and capitalist mentalities and the attitudinal acceptance of violence are stronger among individuals with low levels of education and a precarious economic status (compared to high education/non-precarious status). The strongest link is expected for a negative status inconsistency (high education/precarious economic status). Structural equation models for data from a random probability sample of 350 Muslims (aged 14–32 years) in Germany indicate that attitudinal acceptance of violence among young Muslims is not predicted by devoutness to Islam but by economic precariousness and by acceptance of capitalist values of the HSI belief system. [less ▲]