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Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology
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Immigrant and social background in education – a quantitative analysis of their interplay (ISBE)

Project description

In Germany, inequality of opportunity in education persists. Research shows that students from families with low socioeconomic status and a migration history tend to perform less well in school and, on average, attain lower educational qualifications. However, because social background and migration history are rarely considered in conjunction, such findings often fail to capture the full diversity of students’ background and their experiences.

Grüner Schriftzug ISBE

On the one hand, migration-related experiences vary greatly; for example, they differ in terms of country of origin or length of stay in Germany. On the other hand, we assume that these experiences interact with the socioeconomic status of the family in complex ways. Moreover, family-related factors, such as parents’ educational expectations, the extent of support they provide with learning, or their familiarity with the education system can also matter in shaping a child’s educational trajectory.

The central aim of this project is to examine the interplay between social background, migration history, family circumstances, and gender. The analysis is based on data from more than 300,000 students collected in large-scale studies conducted in Germany. In addition to academic performance, we also consider other indicators of educational success such as motivation, socio-emotional factors, educational transitions, and final educational attainment.

Lead researcher at IFS

External project partners