Socioeconomic Factors in Student Assessment

⚠️ Psychometric testing: The single greatest barrier to social mobility in the UK today?   Research from UCL reveals a stark truth - graduates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are 32% less likely to secure employment. Half of this gap is driven by the initial application and psychometric testing stage.   Given the vast scale of online testing in early-career hiring (filtering out millions of candidates annually), conventional psychometric tests may be the biggest obstacle to social mobility in the UK today.   Both academic research and real-world outcomes support this view - consistently showing that conventional cognitive and situational-judgement tests disadvantage candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds: 🔸 Students from state schools score consistently lower than their private-educated peers. 🔸 Candidates who received free school meals are less likely to pass. 🔸 Those whose parents didn't attend university routinely underperform, despite having comparable real-world abilities.   These aren't isolated anomalies - this is a systematic pattern. Reliance on psychometric tests that disadvantage those born into poverty reinforces privilege, perpetuating generational inequality.   How many bright, capable individuals are overlooked because many conventional psychometric tests reward preparation rather than true potential? How much genuine talent is pushed aside by these flawed assessments?   When faced with the data, too many test providers hand-wave these issues away, or shrug their shoulders as if nothing can be done - leaving employers, job seekers, and our society grappling the consequences.    For employers committed to empowering social mobility, removing any test that entrenches inequality would be a genuine step forward.    Fair, equitable assessment opens doors – creating opportunity based on potential, not background. It's a shame so many psychometric tests still achieve the opposite.   Employers, and our society, deserves better - it doesn't have to be this way.

In the ever-evolving conversation about the right to #education, private schools often take centre stage as a vehicle for academic achievement. Yet, my recent research with Rosalie Henry de Frahan, published in The Annals of Regional Science, challenges this assumption. Using data from the OECD's PISA assessments across 61 countries, we find that private schooling’s perceived advantages are less about the quality of education and more about the socio-economic backgrounds of the students they attract. When school composition —essentially, the collective socio-economic status of students— is accounted for, the performance gap between public and private schools largely disappears. In fact, the analysis reveals that academic success is driven more by the resources students bring into the classroom than the type of school they attend. This has profound implications for policy. Rather than amplifying competition between private and public schools, policies that reduce segregation and broaden access to educational resources may better serve societal advancement. It's a reminder that education’s role for both providing excellence and as a "social elevator" works best when everyone can get on board, regardless of their starting point. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dj2ez5Bk

🔍 Key Findings from PISA 2022 (Volume V): Learning Strategies and Attitudes for Life 👉 See: https://lnkd.in/dzxnMp4A 🎯 The OECD's latest report highlights the critical role of education systems in preparing students for lifelong learning. Here's what stands out: 🎓 Learning Strategies Matter ▪️Fewer than half of students frequently employ proactive learning strategies like asking questions or connecting new knowledge with existing concepts. ▪️Students using these strategies perform better, even after accounting for socio-economic disparities. 🌟 Motivation & Self-Belief Drive Success ▪️Intrinsic motivation (learning for joy) and self-efficacy (confidence in one’s abilities) predict higher engagement and better outcomes. ▪️However, socio-economic and gender gaps persist—advantaged students and girls report higher motivation but also higher anxiety in some domains, like mathematics. 🤝 Support Systems Are Crucial ▪️Teacher support is linked to a 15-point boost in mathematics scores. Yet, only 1 in 5 students reported receiving extra help when needed. ▪️Parental engagement enhances resilience and motivation, but involvement has declined since 2018. 📊 Vocational Education & Career Readiness ▪️VET students show stronger links between career clarity and effective learning strategies. ▪️Engagement with career guidance and research is associated with higher performance, emphasizing the need for informed pathways into the labor market. 💻 Navigating the Digital Era ▪️While most students feel confident using technology for learning, only 40% can reliably assess the credibility of online information. ▪️This gap highlights the urgent need for digital literacy education. 🌍 Economic Factors & Equity ▪️Economic deprivation impacts learning attitudes. Students facing food insecurity or working part-time report lower engagement in proactive strategies. ▪️Inclusive policies addressing these disparities are essential to fostering equity. 🚀 Call to Action for Educators & Policymakers: 📚 Policy and Curriculum Development ▪️Integrate learning strategies, such as critical thinking and self-directed learning, into curricula at all levels. ▪️Embed digital literacy and media evaluation skills as core competencies for the digital age. 👩🏫 Teacher Training and Support ▪️Provide ongoing professional development for teachers in innovative pedagogical practices, including cognitive activation and socio-emotional learning. ▪️Encourage teaching practices that foster curiosity, perspective-taking, and problem-solving skills. 🏫 Strengthening School-Home Partnerships ▪️Develop initiatives to enhance parental involvement in student learning, particularly for disadvantaged families. ▪️Promote teacher-parent communication through regular engagement and accessible tools. #Education #LifelongLearning #PISA2022 EU Employment & Skills Cedefop European Training Foundation OECD Education and Skills UNESCO-UNEVOC

We are pleased to share insights from our research : 2,528 survey respondents with the Student Success Factor Model; this powerful dashboard developed in collaboration with Relational Insights Data Lab (RIDL) delves deep into the factors that impact Australian university students' attainment, exploring key determinants such as: Social Environment Physical Environment Individual Characteristics Health and Economic Wellbeing Our comprehensive data collection and analysis uncover the intricate interactions between these variables, offering valuable insights to inform policies, interventions, and practices. Whether you're an educator, policymaker, or researcher, this model is designed to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes for all individuals. Transform your understanding of academic success and drive meaningful change with the Student Success Factor Model. We also have our first paper published using this data set in The Student Success Journal: Higher Education Success Factor Model: A Means to Explore Factors Influencing Indigenous Australian Completion Rates https://lnkd.in/gUn8gcbX Thu Pham Levon Blue UQ @Melanie Saward UQ Griffith Institute for Educational Research Griffith University #UniversityofQueensland Link to the Dashboard: https://lnkd.in/gk2i7vut