Institutional Characteristics of Education Systems and Inequalities: Introduction II

in International Journal of Comparative Sociology (2022), early online

This is the second special issue of the International Journal of Comparative Sociology on the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities. The first was ... [more ▼]

This is the second special issue of the International Journal of Comparative Sociology on the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities. The first was published in January 2021 and included papers that explored the role of shadow education and country characteristics during early childhood on educational inequalities. This special issue includes three papers that focus on stratification of the education system as a key driver of educational inequalities, cumulative (dis)advantage in the access to higher education, and student experiences in national educational systems. While we already elaborated on the research program, conceptual framework, and methodological challenges in the first introduction, we will deal with the current state-of-research in this second introduction. [less ▲]

The Role of Teaching Styles in the Development of School Alienation and Behavioral Consequences: A Mixed Methods Study of Luxembourgish Primary Schools

in SAGE Open (2022), 12(2),

This mixed-method research study aims at an analysis of the role of teaching styles in the development of school alienation and behavioral consequences. Applying an in-depth design, this study combines a ... [more ▼]

This mixed-method research study aims at an analysis of the role of teaching styles in the development of school alienation and behavioral consequences. Applying an in-depth design, this study combines a quantitative panel study, a student survey (grades 5–6), and qualitative focus groups with Luxembourgish primary school students (grade 6). Methodologically, we aim to demonstrate potentials and limits of integrating quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative results show that teaching styles affect students’ alienation from teachers and from learning, and eventually from classroom participation and social behavior. Qualitative content analysis reveals that students characterize a fair teaching style as the equal treatment of all students regarding classroom rules and teachers’ empathy for students’ intentions. [less ▲]

PIONEERED: Elaborating the link between social and educational policies for tackling educational inequalities in Europe

in socialpolicy.ch (2021), early online

Although a number of policies tackling educational inequalities have been introduced in recent decades in Europe, educational inequalities exist to a varying extent both in different sub- and ... [more ▼]

Although a number of policies tackling educational inequalities have been introduced in recent decades in Europe, educational inequalities exist to a varying extent both in different sub- and supranational contexts. In this article, we address the link between social and educational policies with respect to educational inequalities. Educational policies aim to guarantee opportunities throughout educational trajectories and beyond. They pertain to all areas and the entire duration of the human life. Our contribution to socialpolicy.ch introduces the ongoing Horizon 2020 project PIONEERED on educational inequalities by elaborating on the social problems behind those dis-parities, and by outlining the project’s conceptual and methodological approaches that join together multilevel, intersectional and life-course perspectives. [less ▲]

Authoritarianism Beyond Disposition: A Literature Review of Research on Contextual Antecedents

in Frontiers in Psychology (2021), 12

A core debate in authoritarianism research relates to the stability of authoritarianism, i.e., whether it is a dispositional phenomenon socialized in early childhood or even genetically predisposed, or ... [more ▼]

A core debate in authoritarianism research relates to the stability of authoritarianism, i.e., whether it is a dispositional phenomenon socialized in early childhood or even genetically predisposed, or whether it is impacted by time-sensitive, exterior conditions. Whereas certain individual authoritarian tendencies emerge as a rather stable personality trait, there is also empirical evidence for a dynamic influence of external factors. This review article provides a conceptual multilevel framework for the study of authoritarianism and offers an insight into the state-of-research on socialization and situational influences, with a particular focus on threat. Findings are discussed with regard to key theories of authoritarianism. [less ▲]

Schule und soziale Ungleichheit

in Hascher, Tina; Idel, Till-Sebastian; Helsper, Werner (Eds.) Handbuch Schulforschung (2021)

Die Bedeutung der Schule als Bildungsinstitution nahm mit der Einführung der Schulpflicht im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert in vielen Regionen Europas zu. Aus der Industrialisierung in den europäischen Ländern ... [more ▼]

Die Bedeutung der Schule als Bildungsinstitution nahm mit der Einführung der Schulpflicht im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert in vielen Regionen Europas zu. Aus der Industrialisierung in den europäischen Ländern ergab sich einerseits die Notwendigkeit der Alphabetisierung der breiten Bevölkerung und andererseits – im Zuge der zunehmenden Arbeitsteilung sowie Trennung von Erwerbs- und Reproduktionssphäre – die Kinder während der Arbeitszeit der Eltern zu betreuen. Infolgedessen entwickelte sich seit dem ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert mit etlichen Vorläufern ein differenziertes staatlich geregeltes Bildungs- und Betreuungssystem. Bildung begann somit als Alphabetisierungs- und Betreuungsnotwendigkeit und höhere Bildung blieb bis in die Weimarer Republik (und teilweise bis in die Anfänge der Bundesrepublik im westlichen Teil Deutschlands) meist nur Jungen und Männern aus bürgerlichen und wohlhabenden Familien vorbehalten. Erst im Zuge der Modernisierungsprozesse des 20. Jahrhunderts wandelte sich Schulbildung zu einem Allgemeingut. Im Zuge der „Bildungsexpansion“, dem Ausbau von Bildungseinrichtungen und einer zunehmenden Bildungsnachfrage, die auch mit einer differenzierten Ausbildung und Qualifikation von Personal einherging, ist Schulbildung notwendige Voraussetzung für alle folgenden Qualifikationen in der Berufs- ebenso wie der Hochschulbildung geworden. Seitdem hat sich die Schule als wichtiges gesellschaftliches Subsystem etabliert und neben den eingangs erwähnten anfänglichen Aufgaben übernimmt Schule bedeutsame Funktionen für den Fortbestand der Gesellschaft. Schule hat sich nicht nur zu einer Bildungsanstalt, sondern auch zu einem Berechtigungswesen entwickelt, das Bildungschancen zuweist, die zentrale Voraussetzungen für den späteren Berufserwerb, Status, Einkommen sind. Letztere Aspekte sind wiederum mit weiteren Lebenschancen eng verknüpft, zum Beispiel politischer Partizipation, Gesundheit und Lebenserwartung. Im Folgenden wird der Beitrag nach begrifflich-theoretischen Bestimmungen von sozialer Ungleichheit und Bildungsungleichheit auf historische Meilensteine der Schulforschung eingehen. Anschließend werden zentrale Themen und Befunde der aktuellen Schulforschung zur sozialen Ungleichheit – von Merkmalen von Schüler*innen auf der individuellen Ebene über Lehrpersonen und Elternhaus hin zu Schulkulturen, Schüler*innenkomposition und Bildungssystem auf höheren Analyseebenen – in sechs Abschnitten näher ausgeführt. Zum Schluss geben wir einen Ausblick auf Trends und Desiderate. [less ▲]

Agency and the school-to-work transition of care leavers: A retrospective study of Luxembourgish young people

in Children and Youth Services Review (2021), early online

This article presents empirical results from a study (2015–2018) on young people leaving care in Luxembourg. A special focus deals with the processes of transitioning from care to work. Education appears ... [more ▼]

This article presents empirical results from a study (2015–2018) on young people leaving care in Luxembourg. A special focus deals with the processes of transitioning from care to work. Education appears to be crucial for a successful transition, as it determines life chances, such as labour market chances, but so far inequality studies have neither researched transitions from care nor have the theoretical concepts developed in inequality research been used to understand the situation of care leavers. They might help to explain the different mechanisms behind the disadvantages of students in foster and residential care and their educational attainment. This paper thus attempts to theorise leaving care from an inequality perspective and the interdependencies with concepts of relational agency, taking into account the heterogeneity among care leavers, their trajectories and achievements (see also Göbel, Hadjar, Karl, Peters, & Jäger, 2020). The main objective of our analysis is to investigate how agency is achieved in the transition from school to work among care leavers, taking into consideration institutional pathways (continuities and discontinuities) in the care and the educational system. [less ▲]

Observing Many Researchers Using the Same Data and Hypothesis Reveals a Hidden Universe of Uncertainty

E-print/Working paper (2021)

How does noise generated by researcher decisions undermine the credibility of science? We test this by observing all decisions made among 73 research teams as they independently conduct studies on the ... [more ▼]

How does noise generated by researcher decisions undermine the credibility of science? We test this by observing all decisions made among 73 research teams as they independently conduct studies on the same hypothesis with identical starting data. We find excessive variation of outcomes. When combined, the 107 observed research decisions taken across teams explained at most 2.6 of the total variance in effect sizes and 10 of the deviance in subjective conclusions. Expertise, prior beliefs and attitudes of the researchers explain even less. Each model deployed to test the hypothesis was unique, which highlights a vast universe of research design variability that is normally hidden from view and suggests humility when presenting and interpreting scientific findings. [less ▲]

Institutional characteristics of education systems and inequalities—Introduction II. International Journal of Comparative Sociology

in International Journal of Comparative Sociology (2021), early online

The second special issue of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) on the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities includes three papers that ... [more ▼]

The second special issue of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) on the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities includes three papers that focus on stratification of the education system as key driver of educational inequalities, the role of digital inequalities in the school and beyond, as well as how students navigate through the institutional setting of the Taiwanese education system. While we already elaborated on the research program, conceptual framework, and methodological challenges in the first introduction (published in January 2021), we will deal with the current state-of-research in this second introduction. [less ▲]

Institutional characteristics of education systems and inequalities—Introduction I

in International Journal of Comparative Sociology (2021), early online

This is the introduction into the first of multiple themed issues of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) that are dedicated to the role of education systems as institutional settings on ... [more ▼]

This is the introduction into the first of multiple themed issues of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) that are dedicated to the role of education systems as institutional settings on the reproduction of inequalities. While Introduction I presents the research program, outlines a conceptual background and discusses methodological challenges in the study of how education systems shape inequalities, introductions to the successive themed issues will deal with the current state-of-research and finally with research desiderata in terms of an outlook. The contributions will be presented at the end of each introduction. The contributions of this themed issue focus on the role of country characteristics during early childhood and the role of shadow education on educational inequalities. [less ▲]

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 ▲]