scholarly journals Achievement Gaps by Parental Income and Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Marie Jorde Sandsør ◽  
Henrik Daae Zachrisson ◽  
Lynn A. Karoly
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Achievement Gaps ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Or Education ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Parental Income ◽  
Standard Deviations

Socioeconomic achievement gaps measure the disparity in test scores between students from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds, commonly measured as a combination of parental income, education and occupation. However, educational data often limits the ability to create such measures of family background and link them to student test scores, leading researchers to arrive at different conclusions about levels and trends depending on the SES measure and estimation method. In this paper we disentangle the importance of each by using register data from Norway with precise measures of parental income and education. We show that results crucially depend on the SES measure, as parental income and education are not interchangeable measures of socioeconomic background. Achievement gaps by parental income in Norway are large, 0.55-0.93 standard deviations, and have increased by about 10% of a standard deviation over the 11-year time period we study, whereas achievement gaps by parental education are even larger, 0.86-1.15 standard deviations, but remain stable over the same period. Accounting for compositional changes in immigration decreases the magnitude of the gaps, whether measured by parental income or education, while trends remain the same.

scholarly journals A full year COVID-19 crisis with interrupted learning and two school closures: The effects on learning growth and inequality in primary education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Haelermans ◽  
Madelon Jacobs ◽  
Lynn van Vugt ◽  
Bas Aarts ◽  
Henry Abbink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Standardized Test ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
School Students ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Standard Deviations ◽  
Learning Growth

After more than a year of COVID-19 crisis and the school closures that followed all around the world, the concerns about lower learning growth and exacerbated inequalities are larger than ever. In this paper, we use unique data to analyse how one full year of COVID-19 crisis in Dutch primary education has affected learning growth and pre-existing inequalities. We draw on a dataset that includes around 330,000 Dutch primary school students from about 1,600 schools, with standardized test scores for reading, spelling and mathematics, as well as rich (family) background information of the students. The results show a lower learning growth over a full year for all three domains, varying from 0.06 standard deviations for spelling to 0.12 for maths and 0.17 standard deviations for reading. Furthermore, we find that the lower learning growth is (much) larger for vulnerable students with a low socioeconomic background. This implies that pre-existing inequalities between students from different backgrounds have increased. These results are quite alarming and suggest that distance learning could not compensate for classroom teaching, although it prevented some damage that would have occurred if students had not enjoyed any formal education at all.

Socioeconomic Background, Maternal Parenting Style, and the Language Ability of Five- and Six-year-old Children

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ki Sook Lee ◽  
Soon Hwan Kim
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Factors ◽  
Parenting Style ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
First Grade ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Parental Education Level ◽  
Maternal Parenting

We examined the pathways through which language ability components, such as reading and writing at the age of 5, and socioeconomic and environmental variables, such as maternal parenting style, affect the language ability of children in the first grade. The focal point of this study's structural modeling analysis was that family socioeconomic factors of income and parental education level directly affect children's vocabulary power and, through mothers' parenting style, affect their language test scores at the age of 5. In turn, the scores of language tests done during a child's first grade year reflect the age 5 test scores. Thus, it was found that language ability is affected by socioeconomic factors. Results also indicate that, for young children, parenting style has a great impact on childhood language ability.

scholarly journals Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK medical school widening access schemes: disruption, support and a virtual student led initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R Bligh ◽  
Ellie Courtney ◽  
Rebecca Stirling ◽  
Asveny Rajananthanan ◽  
Hibatallah Altaher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical School ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Manipulation Check ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
Widening Access ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background COVID-19 has disrupted medical education in the United Kingdom (UK). The pandemic may result in a long-term disproportionate negative impact to students applying to Medical School from a low-socioeconomic background. In addition, the upsurge in Medical School applications increases the likelihood of stricter University entry criteria over the coming years. There is no current research to determine how widening participation of Medicine to students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds can be improved virtually. The aim of this study is to establish the impact of COVID-19 on students enrolled in UK widening access schemes and the role of virtual student led initiatives in widening participation. Methods A voluntary online survey was distributed to UK Sixth Form students (N = 31) enrolled in a widening access scheme who attended Sheffield Neuroscience Society International Virtual Conference in February 2021. The event was free to attend. The five-domain survey consisted of questions determining demographics, career aspirations, impact of COVID-19, academic skillsets and an educational manipulation check. Results There were 30 pre-conference and 26 post-conference responses. 76.7 % had work experience cancelled due to COVID-19. A total of 36.7 % of participants reported participating in virtual work experience. ‘Observe GP’ and ‘Medic Mentor’ were each specified as attended virtual opportunities in 20 % of answers. Post conference, students felt significantly more confident in applying to Medical School (p = 0.008) and more prepared to undertake a presentation (p = 0.002). Educational manipulation check scores increased significantly (p = 0.003). 100 % of students felt inspired to do further CV building activities. Conclusions COVID-19 has negatively impacted pupils enrolled in UK Medical School widening access schemes. Virtual student led initiatives can instill confidence in delegates from low socio-economic backgrounds, increase their career knowledge and inspire them to take part in further CV building exercises. Both Medical Schools and medical students play a key role in widening participation. This study recommends Medical Schools promote access to virtual events, urge private and state schools to declare offered opportunities and act mindfully when determining student’s academic potential in the context of their socioeconomic and/or educational background.

scholarly journals The Effect of Family Background on Student Effort

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1337-1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë Kuehn ◽  
Pedro Landeras
Keyword(s):  
Parental Education ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Marginal Productivity ◽  
School Students ◽  
Student Effort ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
University Degree ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Students from more advantageous family backgrounds tend to perform better than those from less advantageous backgrounds. But it is not clear that these students exert more effort. We build a model of students, schools, and employers to study the interaction of family background and effort exerted by the student in the education process. Two factors turn out to be key in determining the relationship between effort and family background: (i) the student’s attitude toward risk and (ii) how the student’s marginal productivity of effort depends on her family background. We show that when the degree of risk aversion is relatively low (high) compared to the sensitivity of the marginal productivity of effort, students from more advantageous family backgrounds exert more (less) effort. Empirically, we find that if parental education was reduced from holding a university degree to incomplete compulsory education, primary and secondary school students would exert around 21–23% less effort (approximately equal to a reduction of 2 hours weekly in homework). For primary school students we also find that marginal productivities of effort are higher for those from less advantageous family backgrounds.

Towards a dialect-neutral assessment instrument for the language skills of Afrikaans-speaking children: the role of socioeconomic status

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRENETTE SOUTHWOOD
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Parental Education Level ◽  
Father Figures ◽  
African Context ◽  
Neutral Language

ABSTRACTThe aims of the study were to establish whether there is a correlation between the socioeconomic background of Afrikaans-speaking children and their performance on a dialect-neutral language test, and to ascertain whether the allowance the test currently makes for parental education level is sufficient. The Afrikaans version of the DiagnosticEvaluation ofLanguageVariation(Seymour, Roeper & de Villiers, 2005a) was administered to 231 Afrikaans-speaking children age 4 ; 0 to 9 ; 11 from various socioeconomic backgrounds. A positive correlation was found between the composite language scores as well as the scores for each of the language domains (syntax, pragmatics, semantics) and the primary female caregivers' highest level of education. Children with father figures present did not outperform those without. It appears that the original manner of accommodating parental education level in interpreting the children's language scores on the test is sufficient and need not be refined for the South African context.

scholarly journals High English Literacy among Students from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds: Exploring the Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-19
Author(s):  
Nur Fadzilah Muhamad Zamani
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Low Socioeconomic ◽  
English Literacy ◽  
Low Ses Students

As people agree that socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the contributing factors that hinders one’s literacy development, there are still students who come from low socioeconomic background yet are able to acquire high English literacy despite the presence of life stressors. This study examines the challenges faced by low SES students in acquiring high English literacy and the factors that help them to overcome those challenges.  Three students aged fourteen to sixteen years old were chosen as the sample for this study through purposive sampling technique. A qualitative semi-structured interview was conducted to obtain in-depth information about the topic discussed. Three themes emerged which include individual, family and school that demonstrated the challenges faced by low SES students in acquiring high English literacy and the factors that helped them to overcome those challenges. In brief, the participants agreed that their internal motivation and hard work were the most important factors that kept them positive to fight against challenges and become highly literate in the English language. Keywords: Semi-structured interview, qualitative, socioeconomic status (SES), English literacy, motivation

scholarly journals Barriers to weight management in pregnant mothers with obesity: a qualitative study on mothers with low socioeconomic background

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Mehrabi ◽  
Najva Ahmaripour ◽  
Sara Jalali-Farahani ◽  
Parisa Amiri
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Weight Management ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Low Socioeconomic

Abstract Background Maternal obesity is a public health issue that could affect both women’s and children’s health. This qualitative study aimed to identify barriers to weight management of pregnant women with obesity and low socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods The current qualitative study has been conducted using a grounded theory approach by analyzing data collected from in-depth interviews with clients of Tehran’s public health care centers for prenatal care. The criteria for selecting participants were excessive weight gain during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, low socioeconomic status, and willingness to share their experiences. A semi-structured guide consisting of open-ended questions was asked in a private room. Open, axial, and selective coding were applied to the data. Findings Four main themes emerged from data, each of which has some subcategories: 1) personal factors (unpleasant emotions and feelings, personal tastes/hobbies, workload and responsibilities, and history of diseases), 2) pregnancy status (unintended and high-risk pregnancy), 3) interpersonal relationships and support (lack of a spouse’s support and unhealthy role modeling of relatives), 4) socio-cultural factors/influences (social norms and values, lack of access to health services, and unreliable information channels). Conclusions This study provides an overview of the barriers to the weight management of pregnant women from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The results could help develop appropriate health strategies for low socioeconomic women with obesity. Also, health care providers for this group of women could use these findings as a guide to consider their conditions and background.

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