Planning for the future: Changing education expectations in three British cohorts

(2010) - Ingrid Schoon

Journal: Historical Social Research
Link::
DOI:: 10.12759/hsr.35.2010.2.99-119
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Tags:: #paper #NCDS #Attainment #Gender #BCS
Cite Key:: [@schoonPlanningFutureChanging2010]

Abstract

This paper examines changing educational expectations in three British age cohorts born in 1958, 1970 and 1989/90. A pathway model is tested to examine the associations between parental education, academic attainment, school motivation and education expectations among young people and their parents in a changing social context. The findings suggest that educational expectations have increased considerably between 1974 and 2006. In the most recent cohort education expectations at age 16 are more loosely linked to parental education and previous academic attainment, suggesting that expectations for further education are becoming the norm. Furthermore, there are persisting social inequalities in attainment, as well as an increasing gender gap in expectations, with girls being more ambitious regarding their educational goals than boys. Findings are discussed in terms of changing norms and expectations for young people in a changing socio-historical context.

Notes

“This paper examines changing educational expectations in three British age cohorts born in 1958, 1970 and 1989/90” (Schoon, 2022, p. 99)

“The findings suggest that educa tional expectations have increased considerably between 1974 and 2006. In the most recent cohort education expectations at age 16 are more loosely linked to parental education and previous academic attainment, suggesting that expecta tions for further education are becoming the norm.” (Schoon, 2022, p. 99)

“uring the second half of the twentieth century education and employment opportunities in most Western countries have changed dramatically, following the introduction of new technologies and the disappearance of manual jobs. Between 1951 and 1991 the United Kingdom, for example, witnessed a signifi cant decline in manual jobs, while employment in clerical occupations has increased, and work in professional and managerial professions has tripled (Gallie, 2000).” (Schoon, 2022, p. 99)

“The three age cohorts were born at crucial turning points in British social history, as the 1958 cohort grew up during a period of extraordinary economic growth and social transformation, which has been described as a 'Golden Age' by Eric Hobsbawm (1995) (Hobs bawm, 1995), whereas the 1970 cohort reached compulsory school leaving age (that is age 16) just at the height of a major economic recession. Although there has been an economic recovery by the turn of the Millennium, the 1989/90 age cohort is again facing a critical economic downturn just as they are reaching compulsory school leaving age” (Schoon, 2022, p. 100)

“Educational expectations are a vital expression of how far in the education system young people expect to go, and reflect their subjective assessment of the amount of education they realistically predict to attai” (Schoon, 2022, p. 101)

“The expression of education expectations is intertwined with perceptions of opportunities and constraints, and young people from less privi leged backgrounds are generally less ambitious than their more privileged peers (Andres, Adamuti-Trache, Yoon, Pidgeon, & Thomsen, 2007; Schoon & Par sons, 2002; Trusty, 1998” (Schoon, 2022, p. 101)

“Historically, in Great Britain rates of participation in further education and training are lagging behind those in other OECD economies, resulting in a workforce with fewer skills and qualifications compared to other developed countries. Enrolment rates for 15-19 year olds in the UK are currently well below the OECD average (69.7% in the UK versus 81.5% OECD average) and a comparatively large share of 25-34 year olds have not completed upper sec ondary education (OECD, 2008).” (Schoon, 2022, p. 101)

“ising youth unemployment and changes in benefit regulations are other possible explanations for increasing education expecta tions and the rapid expansion of participation in further education. Between 1979 and 1987 the UK experienced the sharpest rise in unemployment since World War II. Compared to the early 1970s, when most of the 1958 cohort completed their compulsory schooling, unemployment rates in almost all de veloped countries have risen dramatically since the 1980s (ILO & Organiza tion), 2008; M?ller & Gangl, 2003). Y” (Schoon, 2022, p. 102)

“e low probability of finding employment made it more attractive for young people to remain in full-time education beyond age 16, especially since changes in benefit regulations introduced in 1988 effectively ended payments to unemployed young people below the age of 18 years (McVicar & Rice, 2001). F” (Schoon, 2022, p. 102)

“anges in the more proximal contexts, that is regarding the family context. According to theories of social reproduction educational expectations are circumscribed by family social background, and in their consideration of which careers are pos sible young people are guided by their parents and orient themselves to social class reference groups (McClelland, 1990; Rosen, 1956; Sewell & Shah, 1968).” (Schoon, 2022, p. 103)

“khoff, 2001; Schnabel, Alfeld, Eccles, Koller, & Baumert, 2002; Schoon, 2009). Since the 1970s educational expectations have generally increased, also among less privileged students. Current generations of young people expect and attain more education than previous ones (Reynolds and Pemberton 2001; Schneider & Stevenson, 1999; Schoon, 2006), and this general increase in educational expectations can in part be attributed to the changing educational profiles of their parents (Goyette, 2008).” (Schoon, 2022, p. 103)

“he success and achievements of girls in the school system in the United Kingdom has been hailed as a story of extraordinary success of post war egalitarian movements. To some extent the shift in the gender balance, with girls catching up or overtaking boys in their academic motivation and academic attainments, has brought about something of a moral panic asking the government to act in the name of underachieving boys to retrieve their educa tional advantage (Epstein, Elwood, Hey, & Maw, 1998; Younger & Warring ton, 2006).” (Schoon, 2022, p. 104)

“Human development is understood to be shaped by multiple levels of influence that interact over time (Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1994), differentiating more distal influences such as societal norms and more proximal contexts operating in the family environme” (Schoon, 2022, p. 104)

“Figure 1: Pathway model linking parental education and academic attainment at age 10/11 to education expectations and school motivation at age 1” (Schoon, 2022, p. 105)

“Note: Unilateral arrows depict presumed causal relations in the model and bilateral arrows depict correlations.” (Schoon, 2022, p. 105) A less complicated figure should be produced.

“It is assumed that family social background is associated with early aca demic attainment. T” (Schoon, 2022, p. 105)

“In all three cohorts information on parental education was collected. Here the data was dichotomised to indicate whether the father and the mother had con tinued in full-time education after compulsory schooling or not. At age 10/11 the student's math and reading ability was tested. In NCDS and BCS specially designed assessments were used to test academic abilities (for more informa tion see Schoon, 2006). I” (Schoon, 2022, p. 106)

“e test data has been z-standardised to enable comparison across cohort” (Schoon, 2022, p. 106)

“At age 16 cohort members as well as their parents were asked about their education expectations. T” (Schoon, 2022, p. 106)

“. In addition the young peo ple completed a 5-item Academic motivation scale (sample items: school is a waste of time; I do not like school). The scale shows good internal consistency for all three cohorts and its validity has been established, showing significant correlations between school motivation and educational expectations (Schoon et al., 2007) and time spend in education (Schoon, 2008). A high score indi cates positive school motivation and a low score school disengagement. Scores were z-standardized for further analysis.” (Schoon, 2022, p. 107)

“Since the 1970's educational expectations of teenagers have dramatically in creased, especially among girls. In 1974 about a third of 16-year olds expected to continue in full time education after compulsory schooling, with little differ ences between boys and girls. In 1986 this has increased to about three fifths, and in 2006 most pupils expect to continue in further education: 82 per cent of boys and over 90 per cent of girls. At the same time, the influence of parental education and previous academic attainment on the expression of education expectations has reduced, which might suggest the emergence of a new norm of further education for all, regardless of academic aptitude or social back ground (Schneider and Stevenson 1999; Reynolds and Pemberton 2001; Rosenbaum 2001). H” (Schoon, 2022, p. 111)