Structure and agency in adolescents' educational transitions: Capability to aspire for pursuing postsecondary education

Structure and agency in adolescents' educational transitions: Capability to aspire for pursuing postsecondary education

• Ho, Sui Chu Esther The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Keung, Pui Chi Chrysa The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  • QE Post-Secondary Education

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

Existing research largely built on Pierre Bourdieu’s social reproduction theory to explain the structural constraints for inequality access to higher education. Much less has applied Amartya Sen’s capability approach, addressing the agency of “capability to aspire” for differential post-secondary education transitions. The data are from the PISA 2012 and the longitudinal study of adolescents in Hong Kong, consisted of 2741 senior year secondary students from 123 schools. Results show that the reproduction effects are still in effect to transmission of cultural and social capital, leading to shape post-secondary education transitions. Yet, adolescents’ likelihood of expecting to pursue a bachelor degree are increased through strengthening their own capabilities after taking into account of socioeconomic backgrounds. Copyright © 2017 All Academic, Inc.

Paper presented at The American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting (AERA 2017): Roundtable session of how social contexts constrain and promote educational opportunities, San Antonio, USA.

• English

Conference Papers

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/5156c79d

2022-01-05