Beliefs About Collective Responsibility for Educational Equity and Attitudes Toward Public Assistance to Students Experiencing Socioeconomic Disadvantage

Neoliberal educational reforms that emphasize market-based competition and individual responsibility have exacerbated socioeconomic segregation in the Australian school system, thereby putting underprivileged students at a greater disadvantage. This necessitates a renewed focus on educational equity. As the public’s policy preferences are important in policymaking, it is essential to understand the factors that contribute to the public’s attitudes toward equity-oriented educational policies. In this study, we investigated beliefs about collective responsibility as a contributing factor. An online survey of adults (N = 1,999) conducted in the most populous state in Australia revealed that people’s beliefs about collective responsibility for socioeconomic achievement gaps positively predicted their support for public assistance to students and schools in need. Furthermore, people’s appraisals of educational equity positively predicted their support for public assistance, partly due to its positive effects on those beliefs about collective responsibility. These results provide insight into ways to shape the public’s attitudes toward equity-oriented educational policies.