Educational Governance and Skills Inequality: Evidence from Chile, Finland, and the U.S.

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 3:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Unequal Returns: How Policy Shapes Learning, Inequality, and Social Mobility

Abstract

This study explores how contrasting models of educational governance shape adult competence trajectories in Chile, Finland, and the United States. Drawing on microdata from the second cycle of the OECD’s PIAAC, cluster analysis identified competence profiles in literacy, numeracy, and digital problem-solving, followed by regression analyses linking these profiles to structural variables such as gender, education, and employment status. Grounded in critical governance theory and data justice, the findings reveal that technocratic, performance-driven regimes tend to reinforce exclusionary patterns, while systems rooted in lifelong learning foster more equitable skill development. By analyzing policyscapes, actorscapes, and timescapes, the study offers a comparative perspective on how governance shapes competence inclusion and exclusion, contributing to debates on educational justice and algorithmic decision-making.

Authors

• Francisca Beroíza Valenzuela, Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES)

• Daniela Véliz Calderón, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile