The influence of PISA scores, schooling and social factors on pathways to and within higher education in Canada

Abstract

In this article, we use data from the Canadian Youth in Transition Survey (YITS). This survey has followed longitudinally the Canadian Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) students originally surveyed in 2000. The aim of this article is to look to what extent social factors (e.g. gender, parental education and socio-economic status), previous schooling (secondary school grades, etc.), and particularly PISA scores, play a role in shaping pathways to and within higher education. We look at the influence of these factors on access to higher education (university or college), and persistence in terms of graduation or dropping out within higher education. We conclude that PISA literacy scores, schooling and social factors appear to have a much greater impact on access rather than on persistence within higher education. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research and educational policies in favour of participation and persistence.

Keywords:

• PISA
• social factors
• secondary schooling
• access
• persistence
• higher education

Acknowledgements

This article draws in part on previous analysis by the authors for a report for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and the OECD.