Talented but unaware? An analysis of the role of self-assessment in educational transitions

Why are talented pupils who come from low-status families reluctant to choose knowledge-intensive educational routes? Throughout this paper we try to answer this question, employing the framework of sociological rational choice theory. Our argumentation is that (1) the perception of one's own ability (self-assessment) is dissimilar among pupils with different parental backgrounds. Furthermore, (2) educational choices are influenced not exclusively by ability, but also by subjective beliefs about one's own talent. Finally, (3) educational choices are not identical across social classes, because pupils with different parental backgrounds estimate their own abilities differently. The hypotheses are tested using individual-level panel data from the Hungarian Life Course Survey (HLCS). The sample contains 9,050 pupils (aged 14-15) who finished primary education in the academic year 2005/06, began secondary education in autumn 2006, and tertiary education in 2010 or 2011.