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kevinxu1204
Identify your independent/predictor and dependent/outcome…
Identify your independent/predictor and dependent/outcome variables
Clearly identify your variables (ideally, no more than 2!). All variables should be evident from your
research question. Ensure that you use the terms independent/dependent and predictor/outcome
appropriately.
Use this summary and articles below:
The research question that I want to know more about pertains to wealth inequality in education and its impact on student motivation and achievement. Specifically, I am curious about the correlation between a student’s socioeconomic status and their beliefs about effort and ability in academic settings. This topic has gained my interest as a student, as I have seen that children often compare themselves to their peers and make judgments about their own abilities based on a number of factors, including the amount of effort they seem to be putting in. I am interested in exploring how wealth inequality can play a role in these perceptions and how it can impact a student’s motivation and academic performance. The disparity in education and wealth can also contribute to the resources and disparities between students from different backgrounds. Students from families with higher levels of education and wealth tend to have access to better schools and resources, which can lead to better educational outcomes and higher earnings. Moreover, students from families with lower levels of education and wealth may have limited access to quality education, which can lead to income inequality across generations. Thus, addressing the wealth and education gap can be crucial in lessening income inequality in the United States.
My research question is: How does education influence income inequality in the United States, and to what degree does the wealth gap in education contribute to the disparities in resources and outcomes among students from highly educated families versus those with a high school education?
Article 1
Bennett, D., & Vedder, R. (2015). Public policy, higher education, and income inequality in the United States: Have we reached diminishing returns? Social Philosophy and Policy, 31(2), 252-280. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026505251400034X
Search Term: “Income Inequality”, “Low-Income” on Google Scholarly
This research article by Bennett and Vedder (2015) examines the relationship between public policy, higher education, and income inequality in the United States. The authors argue that although higher education has traditionally been seen as a way to reduce income inequality, recent evidence suggests that the impact of higher education on income inequality may be diminishing. The methods discuss several public policies associated with higher education and income inequality, including student loan programs and policies, and analyze the effectiveness of these policies in addressing income inequality. The paper discusses potential future directions for policy interventions in this area. The study indicates that the impact of higher education on reducing income inequality may be declining, and public policies correlated to higher education have yet to have had success in addressing income inequality. Implications have suggested that new approaches to public policies related to higher education and income inequality may be crucial to address the problem effectively.
Article 2
Breen, R., & Chung, I. (2015). Income inequality and education. Sociological Science, 2, 454-477. https://doi.org/10.15195/v2.a22
Search Terms- “Income mobility” “College Educated” “Non-college graduates” on Google Scholarly
This study aims to review the relationship between education and income inequality in the United States. The authors focus on two key research questions: To what extent does education contribute to income inequality, particularly the wage gap between college graduates and non-college graduates? Also, if policies were implemented to reduce the income gap between different education levels, how much would inequality decrease? The research methods focus on education because the difference in earnings between college and non-college graduates is often cited as a significant contributor to the income gap in the U.S. The study finds that education is an important contributor to income inequality in the U.S and reducing the income gap between different education levels would lead to a decline in income inequality. Results implicated that policies required in order to reduce this gap could have a significant impact on decreasing income inequality in the U.S.
Article 3
Duncan, G. J., & Murnane, R. J. (2014). Growing income inequality threatens American education. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(8), 8-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171409500603
The publication analyzes the rising income inequality’s origins, characteristics, and effects on American children. The authors present evidence of the surge in income inequality that has occurred over the past four decades. Emphasize the disparities in spending patterns of low- and high-income parents in everyday life and how it impacts their children’s lives, and how it has grown even more prominent than the increase in income disparity. The significant concern are the increasingly glaring disparities in academic achievement and educational attainment that have occurred with the growth in income inequality. The study finds that income inequality has risen significantly over the past few decades, leading to disparities in academic achievement and educational attainment among American children. Specifically, the differences in standardized testing achievement levels among low and high-income children have widened considerably over the past few decades, as have differences in college graduation rates.
