Between-school inequalities in access to science and mathematics curricula in a marketized education system: The case of Australia

2026/02/09 by Laura B. Perry, Philip Roberts, Steve Murphy +1 · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #School Choice and Performance #Global Educational Policies and Reforms #Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies

paper · doi:10.1177/17454999261422007

openalex publication_date 2026/02/09 · openalex created_date 2026/02/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

Increasing the participation of students who study science and mathematics curricula is a priority in many countries, but between-school inequalities in the offerings of these subjects is not well understood. We examine stratified opportunities to learn science and math subjects in upper secondary schools in Australia, as a case study for examining how educational marketization reduces access to curricular subjects in comprehensive secondary education systems. Using census data from one state, we found biology and chemistry are offered in most schools, but substantial inequalities exist in access to physics and especially advanced mathematics. School size, socioeconomic composition, sector and location predict whether a school offers advanced mathematics. The findings suggest that inequalities in access to science and mathematics curricula are patterned by social background and that these inequalities are linked with educational marketization.

Citations

• Motivational pathways to STEM career choices: Using expectancy–value perspective to understand individual and gender differences in STEM fields
• From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools
• STEM Pathways of Rural and Small-Town Students: Opportunities to Learn, Aspirations, Preparation, and College Enrollment
• How does school composition mitigate socioeconomic and ethnic gaps in students’ achievement in Sweden: A long-term trend between 1988 and 2020
• Examining trends in school segregation in compulsory and upper secondary education in Sweden: the showcase of an urban school market
• School choice and implications for equity: the new political geography of the Swedish upper secondary school market

Discussions

• Our new open-access article finds that "inequalities in access to science and mathematics curricula are patterned by social background and that these inequalities are linked with educational marketiza [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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