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The Social Class Test Gap: A Worldwide Investigation of the Role of Academic Anxiety and Income Inequality in Standardized Test Score Disparities

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Title: The Social Class Test Gap: A Worldwide Investigation of the Role of Academic Anxiety and Income Inequality in Standardized Test Score Disparities
Language: English
Authors: Nele Claes (ORCID 0000-0002-1815-0985), Annique Smeding, Arnaud Carré, Nicolas Sommet
Source: Journal of Educational Psychology. 2024 116(6):871-888.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Achievement Tests, Foreign Countries, International Assessment, Secondary School Students, Standardized Tests, Developed Nations, Developing Institutions, Low Income Students, Socioeconomic Influences, Educational Attainment, Parents, Achievement Gap, Test Anxiety, Social Class, Social Differences, Cultural Differences
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Program for International Student Assessment
DOI: 10.1037/edu0000881
ISSN: 0022-0663
1939-2176
Abstract: We conducted three preregistered studies using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data to provide a worldwide estimation of the standardized test gap between students from lower and higher social classes. We investigated: (a) the degree to which academic anxiety contributes to this gap and (b) the role of country-level income inequality in widening this gap. In Study 1, we used PISA 2003 data (250,000+ students from 41 countries) and demonstrated that anxiety accounts for approximately one-fifth of the performance gap between students with less educated parents and those with more educated parents. Unexpectedly, the social class test gap was weaker in more unequal countries than in more equal countries. In Studies 2a and 2b, we used the PISA 2012 and 2015 data (totaling over a million students from 65 countries and 72 countries, respectively) and differentiated the cultural dimension (parental education, cultural capital) and the economic dimension (economic capital) of social class. Regardless of the dimension, anxiety again accounted for between one-tenth and one-fifth of the performance gap between students from lower and higher social classes. Moreover, (a) the culturally based social class achievement gap was weaker in more unequal than in more equal countries, and (b) the economically based social class achievement gap was larger in more unequal than in more equal countries. Unexpectedly, we also find a robust association between national income inequality and academic anxiety across all three studies. Results are discussed in relation to the multidimensionality of social class and literature on the psychology of income inequality.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1434887
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Social Class Test Gap: A Worldwide Investigation of the Role of Academic Anxiety and Income Inequality in Standardized Test Score Disparities
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nele+Claes%22">Nele Claes</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1815-0985">0000-0002-1815-0985</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annique+Smeding%22">Annique Smeding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Arnaud+Carré%22">Arnaud Carré</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nicolas+Sommet%22">Nicolas Sommet</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Educational+Psychology%22"><i>Journal of Educational Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2024 116(6):871-888.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 18
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  Data: 2024
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Tests%22">Achievement Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Assessment%22">International Assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Standardized+Tests%22">Standardized Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developed+Nations%22">Developed Nations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developing+Institutions%22">Developing Institutions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+Influences%22">Socioeconomic Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Attainment%22">Educational Attainment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Gap%22">Achievement Gap</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Anxiety%22">Test Anxiety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Class%22">Social Class</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Differences%22">Social Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Differences%22">Cultural Differences</searchLink>
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  Data: We conducted three preregistered studies using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data to provide a worldwide estimation of the standardized test gap between students from lower and higher social classes. We investigated: (a) the degree to which academic anxiety contributes to this gap and (b) the role of country-level income inequality in widening this gap. In Study 1, we used PISA 2003 data (250,000+ students from 41 countries) and demonstrated that anxiety accounts for approximately one-fifth of the performance gap between students with less educated parents and those with more educated parents. Unexpectedly, the social class test gap was weaker in more unequal countries than in more equal countries. In Studies 2a and 2b, we used the PISA 2012 and 2015 data (totaling over a million students from 65 countries and 72 countries, respectively) and differentiated the cultural dimension (parental education, cultural capital) and the economic dimension (economic capital) of social class. Regardless of the dimension, anxiety again accounted for between one-tenth and one-fifth of the performance gap between students from lower and higher social classes. Moreover, (a) the culturally based social class achievement gap was weaker in more unequal than in more equal countries, and (b) the economically based social class achievement gap was larger in more unequal than in more equal countries. Unexpectedly, we also find a robust association between national income inequality and academic anxiety across all three studies. Results are discussed in relation to the multidimensionality of social class and literature on the psychology of income inequality.
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        Value: 10.1037/edu0000881
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: International Assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Achievement Gap
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      – SubjectFull: Test Anxiety
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      – SubjectFull: Social Class
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      – SubjectFull: Social Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Cultural Differences
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      – TitleFull: The Social Class Test Gap: A Worldwide Investigation of the Role of Academic Anxiety and Income Inequality in Standardized Test Score Disparities
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