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Reliability of educational attainment of survey respondents: an overlooked barrier to comparability?

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Publicado en:Humanities & Social Sciences Communications vol. 12, no. 1 (Dec 2025), p. 1651
Autor principal: Briceno-Rosas, Roberto
Publicado:
Springer Nature B.V.
Materias:
United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization
Health disparities
Measurement
Polls & surveys
Socioeconomic factors
Validity
Classification
Individual differences
Health status
Computers
Variables
Design
Social research
Data collection
Reliability
Educational attainment
Labor market
Social sciences
Education
Handheld computers
Validation studies
Measures
Measurement errors
Harmonization
Social inequality
Respondents
Attainment
Inequality
Qualifications
Acceso en línea:Citation/Abstract
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Resumen:Educational attainment is vital in social science research for analysing socioeconomic inequalities, labour market outcomes, and health disparities. Harmonisation schemes such as the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and its survey-specific adaptation EDULVLB aim to standardise educational classifications across countries, enabling international comparability. Despite their widespread use, concerns persist regarding the reliability of these harmonised measures, particularly at the individual level and across different survey modes. This study evaluates the reliability of harmonised educational attainment measurements using test-retest data from Estonia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. Respondents’ answers from the face-to-face European Social Survey Round 8 (2016) and the online CRONOS Panel Wave 6 (2018) were analysed, with reliability coefficients estimated for both the one-digit ISCED and the more detailed EDULVLB classification. The results reveal notable individual-level inconsistencies, especially in the United Kingdom, challenging assumptions of high reliability in harmonised education data. Inconsistencies were most common between adjacent educational levels, suggesting difficulties distinguishing similar qualifications. Device effects were also observed, with smartphone users displaying lower consistency than computers or tablets users. While mode effects could not be fully disentangled from measurement error, the findings underscore the need for systematic reliability assessments and improved instrument design to ensure the comparability and validity of educational measures in cross-national survey research.
ISSN:2662-9992
2055-1045
DOI:10.1057/s41599-025-06051-9
Fuente:Social Science Database