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Both Rational Action Theory (RAT) and Bourdieu’s habitus theory are employed to explain educational decision-making. RAT assumes that decision-making involves cost-benefit analysis, while habitus theory sees educational pathways as shaped by dispositions reflecting familial class of origin. These theories are often seen as conflicting, but we argue that they can fruitfully be used together.Proponents of these theories often employ different methods. RAT advocates usually employ survey data, while those favouring habitus theory often use case studies. If cost-benefit reasoning does partly explain educational decision-making, then we should expect to find evidence of it at the micro-level. Drawing on interviews conducted in Germany and England, we show that young people do indeed talk about their educational choices in ways which fit RAT accounts. Their class-based habitus often, however, provides upper and lower boundaries for their aspirations, thus conditioning the nature of the cost-benefit analysis entering into decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the use of regression method or Qualitative Case Analysis (QCA) in in-depth study of cases to develop understanding of the causal process by which configuration of factors do or do not lead to some outcomes. It demonstrates how QCA can be used to select cases for interview in a theoretically informed manner in a study of educational transitions in England and Germany. It also shows how a QCA model achieve the outcome in the study and why a minority of deviant cases do not.

Analyzes the responses of children to realistic mathematics problems in England. Details of the problems; Ability of the students to offer reasons in support of their answer; Absence of difference between girls and boys.

Discusses aspects of the 1993 mathematics Pilot Tests for Key Stage 2 for English 11-year-olds in the last year of their primary schooling. Testing and national curriculum in England; B. Bernstein on classification and framing; Changes in English mathematics education; Reality problem in the 1992 KS3 tests.