There is a little information about whether and if so how student aspirations for college change over time. We introduce a conceptual model to explain how student aspirations may change over time, utilize panel methods to examine the extent to which this happens during high school, and investigate which factors are associated with such changes. We…

In this article we wish to clarify not only if, but also how--through which institutional settings--higher education (HE) is accessed by students from vulnerable immigrant groups in France, Switzerland and Canada. We are interested in the possible educational mobility that immigrant youths can experience arising from country-specific educational…

Against a United Kingdom policy background of attempts to widen higher education participation in a socially inclusive direction, this article analyses theory, policy and practice to understand why past efforts have had limited success and to propose an alternative: an "anchor institution" model. A university and a private training…

Survival analysis is an advanced statistical method to investigate the occurrence and the timing of an important event such as school access, dropout, and graduation in a longitudinal framework. The aim of our study is to provide practical guidelines for empirical researchers in choosing an appropriate survival analysis model. For this goal, this…

In this paper, we develop an information distortion model (IDM) of social class differences in self-beliefs and values. The IDM combines psychological biases on frame-of-reference effects with sociological foci on ability stratification. This combination is hypothesized to lead to working-class children having more positive math self-beliefs and…

Data from a comparative study of the educational, career, and migration strategies of rural school students in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan show high levels of educational aspiration. This is likely to increase the flow of population to urban areas, to increase the rate of urbanization, and to have demographic and economic consequences that will…

Using the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, this study tested positively the hypothesis that college students are either likely to acquire debt above the national median or work more than 30 hours a week in order to graduate from a four year degree within six years. These results resonate with the theory of academic capitalism,…

In recent years, students and parents have seen tuition costs at colleges and universities rise, to the extent that many low-income families may feel a college education for their child is out of their financial reach. However, this sky-high tuition is often partially, or even largely, subsidized by various forms of financial aid. For families to…

On the basis of evidence showing the effect of failure on males and mixed sex groups and on the basis of Horner's theory regarding the effect of success on females, it was hypothesized in this study that both success and failure feedback would disrupt female goal setting, and lead to less positive affect. Seventy-five female undergraduates were…

This paper attempts to design a model that covers a comprehensive range of theoretically relevant variables that focus on the aspiration-attainment process. The discussion is in 4 parts. First, the concept of "ambition" is separated into theoretically and operationally distinct components. Second, educational aspiration and college attainments are…

A longitudinal path-analytic study of influences upon education aspirations suggests that academic performance, parental supportiveness, faculty-student interaction, and major department context played significant roles in outcomes, beyond the role played by freshman-year background characteristics. (Author/MLW)

Is it still possible to combine two programmes of study in higher education, and if so, what are the characteristics of these double-students and what kind of obstacles do they face? In the Netherlands, about 10 percent of students in university education take two studies at the same time. Different theoretical approaches offer hypotheses to…

This study reports a comprehensive review of the research on career strands and college connection for the past 30 years. Specifically, major findings about college choice and college readiness are presented and summarized. Last, what educators can do based upon this body of research is suggested.

A causal model of academic factors affecting undergraduate student persistence at a large, urban, commuter university was tested. The effects of academic variables on persistence from fall to spring semester were also assessed for transfer and native students. The model accounted for 49% of the total variance in persistence, while separate models…

Postsecondary aspirations (educational and occupational) of high school seniors from five different residential settings (rural farm, rural nonfarm, village, small-town, and large city) in Durham, Ontario, are examined. Two variables account for most of the variance: parental expectations and peer group. (Author/MLW)