Achievement Inequality and the Institutional Structure of Educational Systems: A Comparative Perspective
Abstract
We review the comparative literature on the impact of national-level educational institutions on inequality in student achievement. We focus on two types of institutions that characterize the educational system of a country: the system of school-type differentiation (between-school tracking) and the level of standardization (e.g., with regard to central examinations and school autonomy). Two types of inequality are examined: inequality in terms of dispersion of student test scores and inequality of opportunity by social background and race/ethnicity. We conclude from this literature, which mostly uses PISA, TIMSS, and/or PIRLS data, that inequalities are magnified by national-level tracking institutions and that standardization decreases inequality. Methodological issues are discussed, and possible avenues for further research are suggested.
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In the case of arbitrary or unfair pre-existing differences, more predictable outcomes signal lack of equality of opportunity and upward mobility.
“However, in the case of arbitrary or unfair pre-existing differences, more predictable outcomes signal the lack of equality of opportunity and upward mobility (Van de Werfhorst & Mijs, 2010).”
From Relative Feedback Increases Disparities in Effort and Performance in Crowdsourcing Contests (2022) · cites this paper as Van de Werfhorst & Mijs, 2010
Cites
Secondary School Tracking and Educational Inequality: Compensation, Reinforcement, or Neutrality?
Gamoran, A., & Mare, R. D. (1989) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/229114 · Cited by 663 · cited 3× · see citing works
“As some have noted, inequality (both in terms of dispersion and opportunities) is interesting particularly because of the potential trade-off between equality and efficiency of learning (Gamoran & Mare 1989, Hanushek & Wössmann 2005, Micklewright & Schnepf 2007, Wössmann 2008a).”
Secondary vocational education and the transition from school to work
Arum, R., & Shavit, Y. (1995) · Sociology of Education · doi:10.2307/2112684 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
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Mijs, J. J. B. (2016) · Social Justice Research · doi:10.1007/s11211-014-0228-0 · Cited by 290 · see citing works
Self-citationSocioeconomic Inequality and Educational Outcomes
Broer, M., Bai, Y., & Fonseca, F. (2019) · IEA Research for Education · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-11991-1 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Educational Systems and Gender Differences in Reading: A Comparative Multilevel Analysis
van Hek, M., Buchmann, C., & Kraaykamp, G. (2019) · European Sociological Review · doi:10.1093/esr/jcy054 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Inadequacies in the SES–Achievement model: Evidence from PISA and other studies
Marks, G. N., & O'Connell, M. (2021) · Review of Education · doi:10.1002/rev3.3293 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
van de Werfhorst, H. G. (2018) · Research in Social Stratification and Mobility · doi:10.1016/j.rssm.2018.09.002 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Self-citationRelative Feedback Increases Disparities in Effort and Performance in Crowdsourcing Contests
Tsvetkova, M., Müller, S., Vuculescu, O., Ham, H., & Sergeev, R. A. (2022) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3555649 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
- Authors
- Van de Werfhorst, H. G., & Mijs, J. J. B.
- Affiliations
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 185, 1012 DK Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
- ORCID
- Mijs, Jonathan J.B.
- Venue
- Annual Review of Sociology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2010-06-01
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 407-428
- ISSN
- 0360-0572 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2115
- OpenAlex
- W2137265810
- Cited by
- 801
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 44 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 59 · 2022: 68 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 75 · 2019: 76 · 2018: 75 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 16.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Sociology (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- EUR Research Repository (Erasmus University Rotterdam) (submittedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Global Educational Policies and Reforms
- Keywords
- educational inequality, educational tracking, standardization of education, central examinations, school autonomy, inequality of opportunity, social background, race and ethnicity, student test scores, educational institutions, PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS
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