Capturing Equity. Educational Equity in Secondary Analyses on International Large-Scale Assessments: A Systematic Review

• In Event: Addressing Equity in Education Research: What Can We Learn From Research Syntheses

Abstract

The discourse of educational equity has captured public imagination and became an entrenched policy value. In the attendant struggle to improve equity governments draw inspiration from secondary analyses on the results of ILSAs. Therefore it is important to understand how this concept of equity is handled. The current paper seeks to offer a synthesis on how equity is defined an measured in this body of research by presenting a systematic review. Our analysis incorporates an identification of operational patterns and an exploration regarding the linguistic elements for defining equity. We chart the theoretical and methodological diversity as clustered into five major research approaches. In the light of these results, the concept’s complexity is discussed and research implications are forwarded.

Authors

• Lies Appels, University of Antwerp

• Sven De Maeyer, University of Antwerp

• Jerich Faddar, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

• Peter Van Petegem, University of Antwerp