Inequalities in higher education students’ academic performance

Abstract

In the last decades, despite the implementation of policies aiming at the equality of opportunities in Higher Education (HE) and the improvement of the academic performance of the less privileged students, new forms of inequalities have been raised. This paper examines the factors that influence students' perceptions regarding the implementation of policies that contribute to the development of their performance. Drawing on the concept of "institutional habitus", this study presents results of a survey questionnaire of 322 students in two university institutions in Greece. The selected universities meet the criteria of different history, location and organizational structure. The findings show differences between institutions, which reveal the important role of institutional practices in students' academic performance. The findings highlight the importance of investigating factors other than social background when studying academic success and learning outcomes.