Support #1350: GCSE grade data - Understanding Society User Support

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GCSE grade data

Added by Abigail Bateman over 4 years ago. Updated over 1 year ago.

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Resolved

Priority:

Normal

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Questionnaire content

Start date:

05/19/2020

% Done:

100%

Description

Hi,

I need some help with my analysis for my undergrad dissertation

I am using the Harmonised BHPS data and my dissertation question revolves around looking at the GCSE grades (English and Maths most likely) of people, based on their socioeconomic class. I will then be looking at if material and cultural factors such as having a computer at home, going to places like the museum, extracurricular activities and having books at home etc. have an affect on the GCSE grades of those from lower socioeconomic classes.

The problems I am having at the moment are:

- I've tried to analyse data from waves 7,8,9 using the variable gcseeng in the indresp datafile. However the response rate is extremely low:
e.g. for wave 9: 34,900 cases are 'inapplicable', 1096 are 'proxy', only 8 responses for 'A*' etc.
- So even with waves 7,8,9 combined the numbers are too low to use this as my dependent variable

- There aren't variables with respondent's GCSE grades (or equivalent) in older waves. There are variables in a few older BH waves that include respondent's number of GCSE qualifications A-C etc.
The problem is that I need to choose either/or - I cannot see a variable for number of GCSE grades in recent waves, and I cannot see specific English and Maths grades attained in older waves - so this means I am unable a the moment to merge the data from different waves together

- This will then prove to be a problem when trying to look at GCSE grade attained in relation to factors such as frequency of visiting a museum

Any help would be very very appreciated

Thanks

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Updated by Rebecca Parsons over 4 years ago

Status changed from New to In Progress
Assignee set to Rebecca Parsons
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Hi Abigail,

Thanks for your query. The User Support team are delivering training today, so there will be a short delay in responding to your questions.

Best wishes,
Becky

On behalf of User Support

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Updated by Gundi Knies over 4 years ago

Category set to Data analysis
Assignee changed from Rebecca Parsons to Abigail Bateman
Priority changed from Immediate to Normal
Target version set to X M
% Done changed from 0 to 80

Dear Abigail,
detailed information about GCSE English and maths results is only asked of young people aged 16 who fill out the adult questionnaire for the first time either in wave 7, wave 8 or wave 9, and who report having done GCSEs. The universe description in the questionnaire gives detailed information on who is asked the question. I have glanced at the distribution of responses; there are a couple of hundred of cases in each wave who provide their detailed GCSE results. It should be possible to analyse this meaningfully, e.g., by pooling the cases from different waves and/or merging categories.

Regarding going to theatre, it may be worth checking what information you have for the 16 year olds from any previous youth interviews (ypfmuseum was asked every other wave starting in wave 2).

I guess by the young person's "social class" you mean the parents' social class? 16 year-olds are a subgroup of new entrants who are asked their what job their parents did when the respondent was aged 14 (see manssec8_dv and pannsec8_dv). It should be pretty complete for the 16 year-olds you are analysing. If not, you could get proxies from the current or previous interviews wirh the parents, preferably from two years ealier (i.e., check out the parent's current job jbnssec8_dv).

Hope this helps! Good luck with your thesis.
Gundi

PS. We also have some linked education records from the NSPD. However, the data are available only under Secure Access restrictions and the application process can take a cuple of months so it is not feasible for your project.

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