1246.0 - Education Variables, 2002

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 11/12/2002

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Contents >> Main Field of Highest Educational Attainment >> Underlying Concepts

NAME OF THE VARIABLE

4. The name of the variable is 'Main field of highest educational attainment'.

5. This variable is one of several which supersede the variable 'Post-school educational qualifications'. The changes are a consequence of the development of the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) (cat. no. 1272.0) to replace the ABS Classification of Qualifications (ABSCQ), and better reflect the ASCED's capacity to show qualifications attained not just post-school, but at, or concurrently with, school as well.

DEFINITION OF THE VARIABLE

Nominal definition

6. The variable 'Main field of highest educational attainment' is defined as:

The main field of study undertaken by a person in reaching the person's highest educational attainment.

7. 'Main field of highest educational attainment' is an attribute of the counting unit Person.

Operational definition

8. Operationally, 'Main field of highest educational attainment' is defined as the main field of study undertaken in the highest non-school qualification reported by a person, or in the highest year of school completed, whichever is the higher. It is obtained by derivation from the responses to questions on the 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' and on the 'Highest year of school completed'. In turn, 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' is obtained by a direct question, sequenced to follow a direct question on 'Level of highest non-school qualification'. The question on 'Level of highest non-school qualification' is worded in terms of qualifications attained, and where information is not collected about multiple qualifications, the result is dependent on respondent perception of 'highest'.

Scope of the variable

9. The variable 'Main field of highest educational attainment' applies to all persons who have undertaken primary education or higher.

SUPPORTING VARIABLES

10. 'Main field of highest educational attainment' requires the supporting variables 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' and 'Highest year of school completed'.

DISCUSSION OF CONCEPTUAL ISSUES

11. To derive 'Main field of highest educational attainment' four variables are required: 'Highest year of school completed', 'Level of highest non-school qualification', 'Year non-school qualification completed' and 'Main field of highest non-school qualification'. The first three are used to derive the variable 'Level of highest educational attainment', which is obtained by comparing the highest year of school completed with the highest non-school qualification to determine which is the highest; the order of the ASCED Level of Education Classification generally determines which attainment will be considered higher, but in some cases a clear ordinality does not exist and decision rules are applied. For more information see the variable 'Level of highest educational attainment'. Collection of the variable 'Main field of highest non-school qualification' is recommended for 'Level of highest non-school qualification' as it can be used to improve coding accuracy; however, apart from cases where the highest educational attainment is completion of a year of school, the subject or subjects which comprised the course of study leading to the highest non-school qualification are also the 'Main field of highest educational attainment'.