Events

Abstract: The aim of this work is to assess whether teachers’ grading is socially stratified on the basis of students’ social background and whether high-SES (socioeconomic status) pupils’ putative advantage vary across school levels, school subjects and along the ability distribution. I will also examine which characteristics of social background (father and mother’s occupation and education) are more important in driving the advantages enjoyed by high-SES children. Finally, I will analyse whether being over-evaluated positively affects later educational achievement and transitions. The empirical analysis makes use of data collected by the National Institute for the Evaluation of the Italian School System (INVALSI) on the whole population of students in specific grades in primary, lower and upper secondary education. On the methodological side, to answer the research questions I make use of various multilevel and fixed-effect regression models. Implications for sociological theories and educational policies are discussed at the end.

The Sociology Seminar Series is convened by Bess Bukodi and Colin Mills.  For more information about this or any of the seminars in the series, please contact sociology.secretary@nuffield.ox.ac.uk.