Staying on or dropping out:

Role of school segregation and intergroup friendships in school success of Turkish-

second-generation

Doctoral project of Gülseli BaysuSupervisors: Karen Phalet & Marc Swyngedouw

CSCP & ISPO K. U. Leuven

The Turkish second-generation

• Born in the country where their parents migrated to

• Whose both or one parents are born in Turkey

• 18 to 35• Mainly Belgium, but also Austria and

Sweden

The comparison group:

• Whose parents are born in the survey country

• 18-35 years old

• Living in the same neighborhood with the Turkish-second generation

School success

• Drop-out rates

• Track placement in Secondary School• Vocational• Academic /Technical (preparation for higher

education)

• Continuation into higher education

Factors affecting school success

• School segregationPerceived percent immigrant in primary school and secondary school

• Intergroup FriendsPercentage of friends with the comparison group

Research questions:

1. Are there differences in the careers of Turkish-second-generation and the comparison group?

2. What factors are affecting school success?

3. Are segregation effects comparative/comparable?

Are there differences in the school success of Turkish-second-generation and the

comparison group?

Antwerp, Belgium

• The leaking pipeline:

– The way in which the presence of Turkish-second generation in academic tracks and in school diminishes through school career

68

45

29

LOWER SECONDARY2 YEARS

MIDDLE SECONDARY2 YEARS

UPPER SECONDARY2 YEARS

34HIGHER EDUCATION

ACADEMIC/TECHNICAL

10

DROP-OUTLEAVING

31

57

100

68

45

29

LOWER SECONDARY

MIDDLE SECONDARY

UPPER SECONDARY

34HIGHER EDUCATION

ACADEMIC/TECHNICAL

10

DROP-OUTLEAVING

31

57

84

76

66

67

4

11

30

BLACK: TURKISH-SECOND GENERATIONRED: COMPARISON GROUP

Leaking pipeline:

• Does the difference between the Turkish second-generation and comparison group disappear if we control for demographic characteristics?

– i.e. If they had similar personal histories: similar father’s education, starting in the academic track, no repeating grade in the primary school

Net Gap

0.07

0.160.20

0.07

0.200.20

Lowersecondary

Middlesecondary

Uppersecondary

Secondary school

est

imate

d p

rob

ab

ilit

ies comparison group

Turkish second-generation

Chances of being in vocational vs. academic track at three stages in the course of secondary school

Result 1

• There is an increasing difference between the Turkish-second generation and the comparison group in school success

• This difference cannot be explained by parental background, even with their academic history of success/failure

What factors are affecting school success?

(Antwerp, Belgium)

School segregation refers to the over-

representation of disadvantaged minority students

in the same schools, which are often ‘majority

minority’ schools.

Segregation

Why is segregation harmful?• a lower quality of instruction and/or to a relative

lack of resources (Massey & Fischer, 2006)

• coupled with socio-economic segregation, students from low-income families (Carhill, Suárez-Orozco, & Páez, 2008).

Segregation and intergroup friendships• Intergroup friendships: Contact with

the majority culture - Positive attitudes between Turkish-second-

generation and the comparison group (majority society)

- Language learning

Segregation and intergroup friendships in Antwerp

2,71 2,71

3,16

1,63

2,02

4,57

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

5

segregation primary segregation secondary belgian friends

Turkish second-generation

Comparison group

Segregation scale: 1=none; 2=25%; 3=50%; 4=75%; 5=all

Results: Segregation in primary and secondary school

Segregation both in primary and secondary school (high % of immigrants) - increased the likelihood of being in

vocational track - leaving school (4-6 times)- harmful for both Turkish-second-

generation and the comparison group.

Results: Intergroup friendships in secondary school

• students who had most friends of Belgian origin in secondary school are

– twice more likely to stay on (rather than drop out)

– twice more likely to be in the academic track – five times more likely to continue higher

education

Overall result:• Segregation is harmful for both the Turkish

second-generation and the comparison group

• Intergroup friendships protect the Turkish second-generation against drop-out and increases their chances of being in the academic track.

Segregation in three countries (Belgium, Austria and Sweden)

22,25

2,972,71

3,15

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

5

LINZ

VIENNA

STOCKHOLM

ANTWERP

BRUSSELS

Segregation levels in primary schools1=none; 2=25%; 3=50%; 4=75%; 5=all

Segregation levels in secondary schools

1=none; 2=25%; 3=50%; 4=75%; 5=all

2,112,35

2,822,71

3,03

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

4,5

5

LINZ VIENNA STOCKHOLM ANTWERP BRUSSELS

0,71 0,67

0,260,32

0,61

0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1

LINZ VIENNA STOCKHOLM ANTWERP BRUSSELS

Strength of association (correlation ) between primary and secondary school segregation

Educational Levels

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100% primary school

secondary school

higher education

Is segregation harmful for school success?

• In Austria, Sweden and Belgium (5 cities) segregation has a negative effect on school success

• IMPORTANT: CONTROLLED FOR TRACK AT ENTRY INTO SECONDARY

Take-home message• There is an enlarging difference in the school

success of Turkish-second generation and the comparion group (Antwerp)

• Segregation is harmful for school success of both Turkish-second generation and the comparison group! (Antwerp)

• Intergroup friendships protect the Turkish second generation against drop-out and increase their chances of academic track! (Antwerp)

• In spite of different levels of segregation in different cities, segregation is consistenly destructive for school careers of Turkish second-generation across local and national contexts!

(Linz, Vienna, Stockholm, Antwerp, Brussel)

Take-home message

THANK YOU