Social inequality in student performance in the Nordic countries: A comparison of methodological approaches

Abstract

Knowing the extent to which parental background affects the educational performance of students is highly relevant for both policy makers and researchers. High levels of educational inequality in a country can be a sign of insufficient support structures and negative learning environments for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the relationship between social origin and educational attainment has received significant attention in the Nordic countries. In both Denmark and Norway, recent school reforms have been introduced with the goal of increasing educational performance and at the same time reducing inequality in educational achievement (Olsen, Hopfenbeck, and Lillejord 2013; Rasmussen, Holm, and Rasch-Christensen 2015). Nevertheless, the Nordic welfare states’ efforts to “equalize education” by reducing disadvantages for less privileged students have a far longer tradition (Erikson and Jonsson 1996).