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Prior research has shown that socialization agents such as parents, peers, and teachers can play a significant role in adolescents' educational outcomes, both through direct support or indirectly via supportive attitudes that foster students' bonding to school and academic motivation. However, less is known about the effects of parent and peer supportive attitudes and teacher autonomy support on unfavorable educational outcomes such as school alienation. This study investigated the role of socialization agents in the development of school alienation among 544 secondary school students in Switzerland and 535 secondary school students in Luxembourg in grades 7 to 9. Results of structural equation modeling showed that the role of socialization agents varies across the school alienation domains and educational contexts, with peers having the most substantial impact on all three domains of alienation in both countries.

Higher education is expected to contribute to graduates becoming active citizens of democratic societies. Still, little is known about how heterogeneities within higher education are connected to political participation. This study centres on differences in the type of institution, kind of degree and field of study and their relationship with variations in political participation. Considering five European countries -- Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Malta and Norway -- it investigates how civic skills and social background explain differences in political participation. The results indicate an impact of higher education characteristics on political participation. University graduates, master's-level graduates and graduates in humanities and social sciences have higher participation levels. Counter-intuitively, there is no universal association of civic skills with participation. The comparative perspective reveals that mechanisms differ by country. Norway, as a less segregated country, shows a weaker association of political participation and type of institution than Austria, as a more segregated country.

Background: Whilst much interest is focused on gender, and classroom-level influences such as and classroom composition and teaching style on achievement, attitudinal outcomes have not received the same attention. This paper focuses on alienation from learning as one sub-dimension of school alienation. School alienation is a relevant issue for all those engaged in supporting students to thrive and have positive outcomes, as it is related to learning and social behaviour, and eventually achievement. Purpose: This explorative study considered how classroom gender composition and perceived teaching style affected the development of alienation from learning in primary and secondary schools. Methods: A multi-level analysis, based on quantitative longitudinal data gathered in Luxembourg, was undertaken. The database included information gathered during three consecutive waves (2016-2018) from 338 primary school students and 376 secondary school students. Findings: Our results indicate that the gender gap in alienation from learning was more pronounced in primary school. A student-centred supportive teaching style (classroom level) decreased alienation from learning in primary school for boys -- closing the gender gap; that is to say, it did change the difference in alienation between girls and boys. In secondary school, only individual-level perceived teaching style was associated with alienation if teaching style was simultaneously considered on both individual and classroom level. A high proportion of male students in the classroom seemed to go along with a higher alienation among all students in secondary school. Conclusion: This exploratory study indicates that teaching style may be a crucial factor for the attitudes towards school of all students, suggesting that employing student-centred and supportive styles could help to prevent school alienation.

This mixed-method research study aims at an analysis of the role of teaching styles in the development of school alienation and behavioral consequences. Applying an in-depth design, this study combines a quantitative panel study, a student survey (grades 5-6), and qualitative focus groups with Luxembourgish primary school students (grade 6). Methodologically, we aim to demonstrate potentials and limits of integrating quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative results show that teaching styles affect students' alienation from teachers and from learning, and eventually from classroom participation and social behavior. Qualitative content analysis reveals that students characterize a fair teaching style as the equal treatment of all students regarding classroom rules and teachers' empathy for students' intentions.

This article reports a study that investigated secondary school students' higher education aspirations (towards university studies, ISCED 6 and above) and how these differ between student groups as well as how these are impacted by values of education. Panel data of more than 300 secondary school students in two countries, Luxembourg and Switzerland (the Swiss Canton of Bern) was analysed. Schools are structured differently in the education systems of Luxembourg and the Swiss Canton of Bern. The results of our analysis show that students in the Luxembourgish sample more often aspire to higher education than in the Swiss sample. Disparities in higher education aspirations were also more pronounced in the Luxembourgish sample, boys and students from families of low socio-economic status (SES) were less likely to aspire to higher education. While the effects of values of education are generally scarce, stimulation in terms of anticipated enjoyment and interest derived from participation in higher education seems to have a positive effect on higher education aspirations.

Early identification of school alienation is of great importance for students' educational outcomes and successful participation in society. This study examined the psychometric characteristics of a newly developed assessment instrument, the School Alienation Scale (SALS), to measure school alienation among primary and secondary school students. The SALS consists of three school-related domains, namely, classmates, teachers, and learning. Based on the responses of Swiss (1) and Luxembourgish (2) students from two school-specific cohorts--primary (grade 4; n[subscript 1] = 486, n[subscript 2] = 503) and secondary schools (grade 7; n[subscript 1] = 550, n[subscript 2] = 534), we assessed instrument reliability, validity, and cross-cultural equivalence. The scale showed evidence of reliability and internal validity across two samples, confirming that the hypothesized first-order three-factor model fits the data better than several alternative models. The results of measurement invariance tests revealed that the measurement model operated equally well for primary and secondary school students in both countries. The construct validity of the SALS was additionally supported by demonstrated criterion-related validity. Specifically, school alienation domains were negatively associated with positive attitudes to and enjoyment in school; social problems in school were positively related to alienation from classmates and teachers. Our key contributions to the measurement of school alienation are the disclosure of the core domains of school alienation, development of a reliable and valid instrument, and justification for its use. Therefore, the results of this study have important implications for further theoretical work in alienation research and contribute to comparative research by examining the construct of school alienation in different educational settings.

Social origin affects not only access to higher education but also how students proceed through higher education. Based on the argument that an advantageous family background facilitates linear study trajectories through parents' provision of cultural and economic resources, this article investigates study trajectories in Germany and the United States, assessing the institutional structures as an intermediating factor. We reconstruct study trajectories of bachelor-degree-seeking students using sequence analysis based on two high-quality panel data sets (U.S. Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study and the German National Educational Panel Study). The findings reveal that study trajectories are more complex overall and shaped by social origin in the United States. In both countries, study trajectories differ by higher education institution type. We conclude that not only are access pathways to higher education shaped by the institutional context of higher education systems but also that study trajectories and the disparities structured by socioeconomic background are equally institutionally embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing availability of high-quality longitudinal data on students in higher education, scholars' interest in how students proceed through higher education has risen. So far, the research field is diverse in theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. Thus, based on 27 studies published in (higher) education research journals during the past two decades, this literature review provides an overview of the theoretical concepts, methodologies and main empirical findings in the study of students' trajectories in higher education. The results depict a US dominated research field. Most theoretical frameworks are based on student's decision-making. Across different country contexts and research designs--ranging from descriptions of student trajectories to studies predicting who engages in which types of trajectories to sequential trajectory reconstruction--we found that historically disadvantaged groups in higher education such as students from low social origin follow less linear and less smooth higher education trajectories. However, while the field of comparative education is growing steadily and may significantly contribute to explaining the link between the realization of students' opportunities and the way how higher education is designed and implemented both on the national and local level, there were no cross-country comparison studies on higher education trajectories.

Early adolescence represents a particularly sensitive period in the life of young learners, which is accompanied by an increase in school alienation. Due to its harmful nature (Hascher and Hadjar in Educ Res 60:171-188, 2018. 10.1080/00131881.2018.1443021), school alienation may lead to unfavorable consequences such as low academic achievement (Johnson in J Educ Technol Soc 8:179-189, 2005; Reinke and Herman in Psychol Schools 39:549-559, 2002). This study investigates the longitudinal relationship between school alienation domains, namely alienation from learning, from teachers, and from classmates, and academic achievement among secondary school students of grade 7 to grade 9 in Switzerland and Luxembourg. Data were collected from 403 students in the Swiss canton of Bern and 387 students in Luxembourg who participated in three waves of the "School Alienation in Switzerland and Luxembourg (SASAL)" research project. Cross-lagged modeling was applied to examine the correlations between school alienation domains and academic achievement at each of the three time points, the temporal stability of school alienation domains and academic achievement, and their cross-lagged effects across time, controlling for students' gender, school track, parental occupational status, and migration background. Results show that the pattern of relationships is defined by the school alienation domain and the cultural context, pointing to the complex interplay between the multidimensional construct of school alienation and academic outcomes of secondary school students.

Many approaches to explaining educational inequalities relate explicitly and implicitly to benefits of education, and rational choice theories in particular consider monetary benefits. We specify a concept of the value of education that allows for an empirical analysis of educational benefits, considering both monetary and non-monetary dimensions (instrumental goals) outlined in social production function theory. Our objectives include introducing a sound theoretical framework, the validation of an empirical measurement instrument and an analysis of the differences between certain dimensions of educational values structured by social origin, gender and immigrant background. Analyses are based on a two-wave panel study (SASAL-School Alienation in Switzerland and Luxembourg) carried out in secondary schools in Luxembourg and Switzerland. We distinguish four dimensions within the concept of values of education: stimulation, comfort/status, behavioural confirmation and affection. The different dimensions of the value of education are influenced by gender and immigrant backgrounds in both national settings.

Background: Many primary school students encounter the educational system positively from the outset. However, over the school years, students develop negative attitudes towards school, which peaks during secondary education. According to the literature, we conceptualise this process as school alienation: a decreasing sense of belonging in terms of learning, teachers and classmates at school. Purpose: This article critically examines the research on school alienation, with a focus on primary and secondary education. In this overview, we consider definitions, general conceptual approaches and specific concepts of school alienation, as well as methodological issues, including operationalisations of school alienation. Based on our identification of the strengths and shortcomings of previous theoretical and empirical approaches, we propose a definition and model of school alienation that may guide future research efforts. We argue that future research on school alienation needs to focus on the processes by which school alienation manifests itself; moreover, it must take into account how school alienation can differ with regard to various domains in school (i.e. alienation from learning, from teachers, from classmates). Overall, we argue that instead of an emphasis on general alienation from school, a more specific approach to school alienation is required. Sources of evidence: We used scientific research search engines to identify the body of literature that explicitly studies the phenomenon of school alienation. Firstly, we identified different types of school/student alienation definitions and concepts. Then, we selected papers addressing school alienation as a crucial issue, as well as papers investigating this issue in relation to an outcome, such as violent student behaviour and drop-out, for review. Further, we related our review to comparable concepts, such as disengagement, to show similarities and/or differences. Main argument: The findings of our overview point to a lack of a clear definition of school alienation, a lack of systematic concepts and a diversity of operationalisations based on manifold theoretical approaches. Thus, we propose a contemporary concept of school alienation by bridging different concepts: particularly, the concepts of alienation and disengagement. Our approach specifies core domains to which school alienation is linked: academic learning, teachers and classmates. Furthermore, in regard to each domain, cognitive and affective aspects can be identified, while behavioural aspects are conceptualised as consequences of school alienation. Conclusions: The need for studies aimed at a more profound understanding of the process of school alienation during different stages of educational pathways (such as primary and secondary education) seems to be evident. Panel data are necessary to reconstruct student trajectories in order to take individual changes into account. Different levels of analysis (individual student level/micro, school or classroom levels/meso, societal level/macro), as well as interaction between these levels, need to be studied.

This is the third and final of multiple themed issues of International Journal of Comparative Sociology (IJCS) dedicated to the question of how education systems shape educational inequalities in terms of systematic variations access to and uptake of education along certain axes of inequality such as social origin, gender, and immigrant background. While the previous introductions dealt with the research program, conceptual background, and methodological challenges in the study of the link between institutional characteristics of education systems and educational inequalities (Introduction I) as well as with the state-of-research (Introduction II), this third and final introduction is dedicated to discuss certain research desiderata in terms of an outlook with an eye on the latest major studies in this vibrant research field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitus plays a crucial part in Bourdieu's theory of sociocultural reproduction for understanding the persistence of inequalities in the education system. According to Bourdieu, students from homes that are heavily equipped with cultural capital develop a specific kind of habitus, that is, modes of perceiving, thinking, and acting, remarkably well‐adjusted to the expectations of teachers and educational institutions. However, research has rarely tried to measure what we refer to as students' academic habitus to highlight the different types of habitus that students might express toward school. Drawing on data from secondary students in Luxembourg, we employ a latent class approach to operationalize, measure, and explore students' academic habitus. Our investigation comprises three main steps: First, we develop a multifaceted understanding of students' habitus integrating diverse dispositions toward school and learning; second, we identify different academic habitus types: the habitus of excellence, the habitus of goodwill and loyalty, and the habitus of disengagement. Third, we examine how the three habitus types relate to different axes of inequality: socioeconomic status, cultural capital, family employment, gender, and immigrant background. Our typology of habitus bridges the qualitative literature on habitus with existing quantitative operationalizations. The findings show that students with a habitus of excellence are likely to hail from families with favorable parental employment and high cultural involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Horizontal gender inequalities appear to be rather stable, with girls more often choosing "female" service professions, and boys choosing career paths related to science, technology, engineering or Mathematics. Purpose: Non-egalitarian patriarchal gender-role orientations and gender associations (perceived femininity) of the school subjects German Language Arts and Mathematics are theorised--triangulating different theoretical backgrounds--and empirically analysed as a major predictor of gender-typical vocational aspirations, considering interest in these school subjects as a mediating factor. Furthermore, we focus on a patriarchal relation of father's and mother's workforce participation as a root of gender-role orientations, and teacher gender in regard to its impact on gendered images of subjects. Sample: Empirical analyses are based on survey data from eighth-graders (around the ages of 14 and 15 at the time of data gathering) in the Swiss canton of Bern. The sample only encompasses children from two-parent families, as patriarchality in terms of differences in workforce participation between father and mother is taken into account. Design and methods: The research issues are analysed employing structural equation models. The statistical package Mplus allows for an analysis of the two dependent dichotomous variables "gender-typical vocational aspiration" and "gender-atypical vocational aspiration". The hierarchic structure of the sample (school class clusters) is taken into account. Results: Findings reveal different patterns for boys and girls; for boys, gender-typical (male) vocational aspiration could be explained to a small extent via gender-role orientations, interest in Mathematics and gender associations of school subjects; for girls, the factors under consideration could be empirically linked to "atypical vocational aspiration". Teacher gender only has an impact among girls: if girls are taught by a female Mathematics teacher, they perceive the subject as a bit more female and show a higher interest in this subject. Their likelihood of having a gender-atypical vocational aspiration is a bit higher than among girls with a male Mathematics teacher who perceive the subject as a bit less female and, thus, show somewhat lower interest in this subject. Conclusions: There are still links--although weak--between gender stereotypes and vocational aspirations. Gender-role orientations are rooted in the family. A sensitisation towards gender stereotypes and their impact on aspiration s and career would appear to be meaningful in broadening the vocational perspectives of men and women.