Schooling effects on undergraduate performance: evidence from the University of Barcelona

Abstract

This study analyzes the effects of several factors related to high school, such as the kind of school (public or private), the type of education (general or vocational), school location and peers on undergraduate performance from students of the University of Barcelona (Spain). Particular attention is given to the functional form and to the collection of ''unobservables''. Empirical results show that variables related to high school, such as having attended in a private religious school or peer effects of their school contemporaries, are determinant in university final grades. In addition, students' ability, some household's characteristics and the 1990 Education Act are also important.

Reframing ‘the problem’: students from low socio-economic status backgrounds transitioning to university

“…Several students who identified as low SES students expressed a concern about being judged as different, as not belonging at university. We remembered from our own experience , in addition to comments by other workingclass academics, that while it is important for students to make friends, for some students trying to make friends is fraught with difficulties and often well-grounded fears (Stuart, 2006;Walker, 2007;Mora and Escardibul, 2008). This became a trigger for us to address the issue of class difference at university by modifiying an existing lecture (on preparing essays) to incorporate strategies for dealing with anxiety about belonging and not belonging at university.…”

Benchmarking of secondary schools based on Students’ results in higher education

“…Cyrenne and Chan (2012) discuss the criteria for students admission to university, which in Canada, like in Portugal, is mainly determined by high school grades. Like Mora and Escardibul (2008), Cyrenne and Chan (2012) also found a significant private school positive effect. Lasselle et al (2014) analysed 1320 students that were enrolled in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.…”

“…This result was obtained for the specific case of Business Schools in the US, with a sample with over 5000 students, based on a truncated regression model. Mora and Escardibul (2008) used a sample of students from the University of Barcelona, observed over the period 1996-2003 (22364 students in 14 faculties). They used a generalised linear model to understand the main determinants of students' university performance.…”

“…They used a generalised linear model to understand the main determinants of students' university performance. Mora and Escardibul (2008) dealt with the faculties diversity by running separate regressions for five groups of students (in Business and Economics degrees, in law degrees, in humanities degrees, in Psychology degrees, in Medical degrees and in Sci-ence degrees). They found that students from private schools perform better than those from public schools.…”

Correlating entrance data and first year academic performance of students enrolled in the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Porto

“…4,14 On the other side, it is argued that students from private schools perform better than those from public schools. 15,16…”