Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Education is a key factor in the intergenerational transmission of socio-economic position. In the context of at best stagnant, and at worst declining social mobility in the UK (Blanden and Gregg, 2004; Blanden and Machin, 2004), inequalities in education are certainly of policy relevance. Research has primarily focused on hierarchical stratification of students, for example access to higher education and attainment disparities. Another important way that inequalities are expressed in the context of increasing proportions of students attending university, is through subject choices.

Recent research using representative survey data ‘Next Steps,’ looking at a broad range of socio-economic indicators, suggests parents’ education plays the largest role in differentials in subject choice by students’ family background.  Students with similar prior attainment, whose parents have higher education levels were most like to study Arts and Humanities or STEM subjects, and least likely to study Social Studies, Law and Business subjects (a group of subjects offering high individual returns and also high influence and status) (Codiroli, 2015).

There has been relatively little quantitative research into how attitudes, behaviours and personality differences contribute to disparities in subject choice (The Royal Society, 2008). Drawing on this research, the proposed paper considers the underlying psychological processes that may lead to these disparities. Firstly, I consider whether differences in students’ perception of ability in, and enjoyment of subjects contribute to disparities in choices. Parents’ education may influence students’ self-efficacy beliefs and the interest they have in particular subjects (e.g. Ma 2009), leading to higher engagement, attainment and likelihood of studying the subjects further. Secondly, I consider whether these non-cognitive factors interact with social background, to further understand whether the processes that underlie choices differ by students’ background.

I use survey data and multivariate regression methods to identify the unique associations between students’ enjoyment of subjects, and their perception of ability, with choices of university subject. ‘Next Steps’ followed 15,000 students from the start of secondary school. The most recent wave of data was collected in 2010 when students were between 19 and 20, with just under 4,000 students attending university.

With prior academic attainment accounted for, I find significant interactions between students’ family background, enjoyment of STEM subjects at the start of secondary school, and choice of subjects at university. Students whose parents have lower education levels and who enjoy maths and science are more likely to study social sciences, business and law at university over STEM subjects, than those whose parents have higher education levels. Findings are discussed in relation to sociological and economic theory, and possible policy implications are explored.