First-in-their-family students at university: Can non-cognitive skills compensate for social origin?

Rebecca Edwards, Rachael Gibson (), Colm Harmon and Stefanie Schurer
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Rachael Gibson: University of Sydney

No 21-03, CEPEO Working Paper Series from UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities

Abstract: We study the role of non-cognitive skills (NCS) in university readiness and performance of first-in-family students (FIFS) using both nationally representative survey data and linked survey-administrative data on an incoming student cohort at a leading Australian university. In both data sources we find that FIFS enter university with lower cognitive skills (-0.3 SD), but with the same NCS as non-FIFS. FIFS have 0.24 SD lower grade-point averages (GPA) and are up to 50 percent more likely to drop-out after Year 1 than non-FIFS. Yet, FIFS catch up with non-FIFS by the end of Year 2. Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Openness (when adjusting for measurement error with anchoring vignettes), and Locus of Control (when allowing for non-linearities) are predictive of GPA. High levels of Conscientiousness offset FIFS performance penalties; low levels exacerbate them, especially when controlling for measurement error. Our findings accentuate the importance of NCS as facilitator of educational mobility.

Keywords: Non-cognitive skills; university performance; socioeconomic gradient in education; first-in-family; linked survey and administrative data; anchoring vignettes. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A22 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 66 pages
Date: 2021-03, Revised 2021-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu and nep-neu
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https://repec-cepeo.ucl.ac.uk/cepeow/cepeowp21-03.pdf First version, 2021 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: First-in-their-family students at university: Can non-cognitive skills compensate for social origin? (2022)
Working Paper: First-in-Their-Family Students at University: Can Non-Cognitive Skills Compensate for Social Origin? (2021)
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