Natascha Massing|Silke L. Schneider
Degrees of competency: the relationship between educational qualifications and adult skills across countries
GESIS - Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences|GESIS - Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences
educational qualifications literacy skills highly related surprising one aim educational systems equip individuals competencies necessary take part society relationship educational qualifications often used proxy human capital however theoretical perspective many reasons relationship perfect degree due third variables thus want explore net relationship educational attainment harmonized according international standard classification education isced literacy skills much skills vary within education levels across countries use data 21 countries programme international assessment adult competencies 2012 paper compares literacy skills adults achieved different levels educational attainment across countries given high degree educational differentiation countries using differentiated educational attainment variable commonly used analyses firstly adjust factors likely affect access education acquisition educational qualifications literacy skills parental education language migration background second step also take account factors affecting skill development initial formal education occupation skill use home firstly find high degree heterogeneity skills across countries equivalent education categories secondly find skill similarities equivalent education categories classified different broad education levels sometimes even breaking hierarchical order higher education entails higher competencies conclude isced levels cannot taken crossnationally comparable proxy human capital terms literacy skills education harmonized substantively meaningful way future adult literacy surveys