The Logic and Strategies for Fair Access and Widening Participation in Admission Reform in the UK and Japan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K02572
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09020:Sociology of education-related
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Oki Kiyotake 早稲田大学, 文学学術院, 教授 (70267433)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 公正なアクセス / 多様な学生の確保 / GCE Aレベル試験 / 社会的背景に基づく選抜 / イギリス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examines the reforms related to fair access and the widening participation of people from diverse backgrounds in higher education that have been promoted in the UK university entrance examination system since the 2010s. So, it was revealed that: (i) examination system reforms aimed at expanding access are being proposed and considered at the national level, (ii) "contextual admissions" is introduced according to the policies of individual universities, and (iii) on the other hand, troubles that raise doubts about fairness have also emerged. And the data revealed that while improvements in progression rates due to socioeconomic disparities have not advanced sufficiently, there has been an increase in adult students aged 30 and above, indicating progress in diversifying the demographic composition of entrants in this regard.

Free Research Field

教育制度論

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義としては、①2020年代のイギリス入学者選抜制度の改革状況や今後の展望を明らかにしたこと、特にPQAをめぐる議論を整理したこと、②一方で公正性や参加の多様化を確認する指標では十分な改善が図れていないことを指摘できたことが挙げられる。一方社会的意義については、①イギリスの入学者選抜において公正性を担保するための諸原則について日本に紹介し、日本での今後の議論の参考資料を提供できたこと、また②公開シンポジウムの開催を通じて、関連する諸知見を他領域の研究者や一般社会に対して提供できたことが挙げられる。