Jean Mangan, Amanda Hughes, Peter Davies and Kim Slack Fair Access. Achievement and Geography: explaining the association between social class and students’

Jean Mangan, Amanda Hughes, Peter Davies and Kim Slack

Fair Access. Achievement and Geography: explaining the

association between social class and students’ choice of university

Fair Access and social stratification through choice of university in England

Undergraduates in the UK choose

between universitie

s throughout

the country

(276 HEIs)

Choice



between universitie

s throughout

the country

(276 HEIs)

Choice is first based on subject and school exit

examinations

Choice



between universitie

s throughout

the country

(276 HEIs)


examinations

A national system of applications (UCAS) through which choices are mediated

Choice



between universitie

s throughout

the country

(276 HEIs)


examinations

A national system of applications (UCAS) through which choices are mediated

A strongly stratified hierarchy

of institutions by status

Choice

Undergraduate stratification by social class

Bourdieu: Field and Habitus: ‘Fish out of Water’

Working class students believe they

will get higher graduate premium from non-elite HEIs

Working Class students believe they would not fit in

at elite HEis


Working Class students believe they would not fit in at elite HEis

Leathwood and O’Connell

2003

Read et al. 2003


Working class students believe they would not fit in at elite HEis


2003

Read et al. 2003

Even though working class students believe they will get higher graduate

premium from elite HEIs

Reay et al. 2001

Forsyth & Furlong 2003


Working class students believe they would not fit in at elite HEis


2003

Read et al. 2003

Even though working class students believe they will get higher graduate

premium from elite HEIs

Reay et al. 2001

Forsyth & Furlong 2003

Bourdieu – Habitus and Field

But…quantitative evidence tells a different story…

Chowdry et al. 2008.Found little effect of material deprivation,

parental education and ethnicity on likelihood of attending an elite university

But…quantitative evidence tells a different story…

Chowdry et al. 2008.Found little effect of material deprivation,

parental education and ethnicity on likelihood of attending an elite university

Once school exit examination grades had been taken into

account.

A complication: choosing a local university and living at home

Working class students place want to maintain existing social networks

Living at home reduces financial cost of

undergraduate study

Reay et al..2005, Forsyth and Furlong 2005

A complication: choosing a local university and living at home

Students with lower

grades more

likely to go local

Working class

students place

want to maintain existing social

networks

Living at home reduces financial cost

of undergraduat

e study

Working class

students get lower

grades

Callender and Jackson 2008

Research Question: To what extent is social

stratification between universities a reflection of

grades, social class and geography?

Method

In-depth questionnair

e survey

Method


e survey

Just after students had completed their university applications

Method


e survey


Two urban areas, one with elite university and one without

Method


e survey



1272 students from 20 schools and colleges

Method


e survey



1272 students from 20 schools and colleges

Random stratified selection to include different types of pre-university schooling

Variables

Variable Measured by

Elite University ‘Russell Group’ of top 18 universities (excl. Oxbridge)

School grades GCSE Maths and English (at age 16)

School type State Comprehensive/State Selective/ Private/College (aged 16+ only)

Ethnicity Black/Asian/White

Family income Low (below £17500)/Mid/High (above £35000)

Parent with degree?

Dummy

Single Parent? Dummy

Gender Dummy

Area A or B

Debt Aversion Dummy

Bivariate associations between variables and choice of type of institution (Chi squared tests)

p

GCSE Score .000

Independent or state school .000

Ethnicity .114

Family Income .000

Single Parent Family .022

Second Generation .000

Debt concerns .000

Importance of career .301

Information on universities .000

Male .002

Area B .000

Possible patterns of cause and effect

Examination grades

Type of school

Location

Social Factors Which

university?


Examination grades

Type of school

Location


university?


Examination grades

Type of school

Location


university?


Examination grades

Type of school

Location


university?


Examination grades

Type of school

Location


university?

Factors affecting likelihood of choosing Oxbridge, Russell group or Other HEI (Ordered Logit) (Other HEI as base case)

Robust p>Z Robust clustered

p>Z

GCSE Score .000 .000

Independent school .006 .009

Sixth form college .102 .021

Male .663 .733

Mid income .423 .516

High income .880 .914

Parent with degree .615 .623

No debt concerns .001 .001

Important for career .148 .018

Area B .000 .000

(other variables omitted non-significant)



p>Z




Male .663 .733






Area B .000 .000




p>Z




Male .663 .733






Area B .000 .000


Effect sizes: median values of exam performance

Other HEI

P>Z Russell Group

P>Z Ox-bridg

e

P>Z

GCSE Score -0.12 .000 0.11 .000 0.00 0.008

Independent School

-0.18 .009 0.15 .007 0.02 0.065

No debt concerns

-0.14 .002 0.12 .001 0.01 0.032

Area B -0.13 .002 0.12 .002 0.02 0.026

Effect sizes: high values of exam performance

Other HEI

P>Z Russell Group

P>Z Ox-bridg

e

P>Z

GCSE Score -0.12 .000 0.06 .086 0.06 .007

Independent School

-0.13 .015 0.03 .583 0.10 .029

No debt concerns

-0.11 .007 0.03 .467 0.07 .012

Area B -0.18 .000 0.12 .008 0.06 .019

Effect sizes: low values of exam performance

Other HEI

P>Z Russell Group

P>Z Ox-bridg

e

P>Z

GCSE Score -0.06 .000 0.06 .000 0.00 .011

Independent School

-0.10 .043 0.09 .041 0.01 .092

No debt concerns

-0.08 .018 0.07 .017 0.01 .054

Area B -0.06 .014 0.05 .014 0.00 .038

At high examination performance, attending an independent school raises the probability of applying to Oxbridge by more, 10 percentage points, compared to state school pupils (6 percentage points); at median examination performance, going to a ‘high-ranking’ university is substantially increased (15 percentage points) by attending an independent school.

The debt concerns of students who have chosen to study at university had more effect on the decisions of median and higher achieving students. Not being concerned about debt increased the probability of a median student applying to a ‘high-ranking’ university by 12 percentage points; for high achievers it increased the probability of applying to Oxbridge by 7 percentage points. This concern about debt might suggest that students who have attainments which broaden their choice of institution perceive elite institutions as more expensive to attend (for instance, because of travelling/residence costs).

The area of living had a large impact for students with median or above examination performance: living in Area B increased the probability of applying to a ‘high-ranking’ university by 12 percentage points at both median and high examination performance.

Conclusions


Examination grades

Type of school

Location


university?

Fear of Debt


Examination grades

Type of school

Location


university?

Fear of Debt

Peter [email protected]

Documents

Jean Mangan, Amanda Hughes, Peter Davies and Kim Slack Fair Access. Achievement and Geography: explaining the association between social class and students’