Disseminating the right information to the right audience: cultural determinants in the use (and misuse) of rankings

Abstract

Rankings and league tables, or Report Cards (RCs), of Higher Education Institutions have become a global phenomenon. Their purpose, it is claimed, is to help ''student-consumers'' make informed decisions. Yet the degree to which RCs succeed in helping students in their college choice is disputed. Even though RCs are intended for all, which information is sought and how it is used may differ between potential students hailing from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds. In particular, RCs may neglect certain cultural determinants that influence students' college choice behaviour. The article reviews the literature on the cultural determinants of college choice and especially the use of RCs in the ambit of cultural determinants. In the United States, possibly because of evident educational gaps between ethnic groups in society, the issue of cultural perceptions in college choice has been addressed, albeit scantly. In Europe, this field of study is virtually non-existent, despite increasing indications that second and third generation immigrants still lag behind in terms of higher education participation and graduation rates.

Changes in students’ choice determinants in Poland: a comparative study of tertiary business education between 2008 and 2013

“…Relevant literature in the field was used which was based on economic models (based on the idea of rational cost-benefit analysis), sociological models (related to aspirations, family conditions, school environment, etc.) or combined models (Hossler et al 1999;Jackson 1982;Kohn et al 1976;Chapman 1986;Hanson and Litten 1982;Hossler and Gallagher 1987;Cremonini et al 2008;Chen 2007;Hung et al 2000). As in 2008, the questionnaire that we used in 2013 was divided in three main parts.…”

“…Following findings of other researchers on post-secondary students' choices (Cremonini et al 2008;Cabrera et al 2008;Chen 2007;Menon et al 2007;Menon 2004;Kohn et al 1976;Chapman 1986;Jackson 1982;Hossler and Gallagher 1987;Hanson and Litten 1982;Somers et al 1999;Mintzberg et al 1976;Wedley and Field 1984), in this article we focus on two phases of the higher education choice process. We identify factors behind pursuing business tertiary education and factors that lead to the university choice.…”

University rankings in action? The importance of rankings and an excellence competition for university choice of high-ability students

“…Therefore, the discussions about ranking methodology are important for assessing the benefits of university rankings (e.g. see Cremonini et al;2008).…”

Universidad Y Desarrollo Social

“…En relación a los problemas en la información (ver a este respecto Altbach, 2006: 80;EUA, 2010: 3;Florian, 2006: 5;Goodall, 2005;Martínez, 2013: 66;Rodríguez, 2013;Scott, 2013;Cremonini et al, 2008; entre otros), cabe mencionar, por ejemplo, un condicionamiento derivado de: -La falta de información y transparencia en la metodología empleada, de modo que, póngase por caso, posibilite su replicabilidad y la correcta interpretación de los resultados.…”