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August 18, 2025

Spatial Disparities in Educational Opportunity and Social Mobility: Focusing on OECD Countries

Key Points

Higher educational inequality negatively affects academic achievement, particularly in larger cities.
PISA data reveals that family socioeconomic status significantly influences educational outcomes across countries.
Hierarchical Linear Models were used to analyze the effects of housing and educational environments on achievement.
Findings suggest that school selection methods impact performance, with positive attitudes and support enhancing student success.

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impact of the interaction between housing and educational environments in urban spaces on academic achievement and explore the implications of this interaction for social inequality. Using the PISA(Program for International Student Assessment) data for OECD countries, we empirically analyze the effects of country-, school-, and individual-level factors on academic achievement using HLMs(Hierarchical Linear Models). The results of the HLM analysis showed that in South Korea, the way schools are selected has a stronger impact on academic achievement than the location of the school. Performance-based selection had a negative effect on achievement, while residence-based selection had a positive effect. Private schools favored achievement over public schools, and higher student-teacher ratios were associated with higher achievement, reflecting the concentration of high-performing students. Schools with a wide range of co-curricular activities were associated with higher student achievement, and negative student behavior was associated with lower achievement. At the individual student level, achievement was higher for males, home language environment, and parental educational expectations. More time spent studying after school had a positive impact on achievement, while positive attitudes toward school and parental emotional support also contributed to improved achievement. In cross-country comparisons, the socioeconomic level of the family had a significant impact on academic achievement, with schools located in larger cities having higher achievement. On the other hand, residence-based selection had a negative impact on achievement, suggesting regional disparities in education. It is important to note that the greater the educational inequality at the national level, the lower the achievement, and that educational polarization can lead to the expansion of subgroups and constraints on social mobility.

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