Overview

Academic selection is the process of selecting students based on academic ability and then providing divergent educational routes depending on the results of the selection. Drawing on international evidence, this book provides detailed discussions on the influence of early-age academic selection on educational effectiveness and equity. Demonstrating its widespread implementation across England, Northern Ireland, Germany, the United States, and China, the book provides a comprehensive evaluation of academic selection, considering policy implications, practical applications, and societal controversies. Through a systematic analysis of empirical studies, the book critically evaluates the potential impacts of academic selection on educational effectiveness and equity, exploring whether expanding or replacing it with a non-selective system would lead to more effective and equitable outcomes. With significant implications for improving educational effectiveness and equity, this book will be invaluable to students and researchers of education policy and sociology of education, as well as to policymakers in countries with existing academic selection systems or considering their implementation.

Full Product Details

Author:   Binwei Lu ,  Xin Shao ,  Fengju Chen
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.510kg
ISBN:  

9781032667324

ISBN 10:   103266732
Pages:   174
Publication Date:   13 November 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

1 A brief introduction 2 Academic selection in contemporary education systems: Its widespread practice around the world and different models 3 Indicators of academic selection: Reviewing previous literature and developing a new analytical tool 4 The impact of academic selection on effectiveness and equity 5 Academic selection and its enduring paradox: The disputable role of grammar schools in England 6 The controversial ebb and flow of academic selection: Grammar schools in Northern Ireland 7 A magic sorting hat? Evaluating the early-age academic selection and tracking system and its impacts in Germany 8 Academic selection in the United States: Selective high schools and their impacts 9 Institutional persistence in academic selection: The exam-oriented selection in China 10 Conclusion: Synthesising international evidence on academic selection

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Author Information

Binwei Lu is an assistant professor at Zhejiang University, China. She obtained her PhD degree at Durham University, researching academic selection and its impact on equity and effectiveness. Her work on social equity, educational effectiveness, and higher education access has been widely covered in UK media and received multiple research awards. Xin Shao is a research fellow at the Institute of Education, University College London, UK. She earned her PhD at Durham University, researching intergenerational social mobility. Her research interests are social mobility, the effectiveness and equity of education, and teacher retention. Fengju Chen is a doctoral researcher at Zhejiang University, China. Her research interests are student development, higher education assessment, and the equity of higher education.

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