Research on the inequality of educational opportunity has often neglected the influence of contextual variables (Boone & Van Houtte, 2012). As such, European studies on educational choice at the transition from primary to secondary education pay little attention to features of the primary school. School level variables, however, may contribute significantly to our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the inequality in educational choice. For example, research suggests that students of all racial backgrounds have higher educational expectations in schools with a high percentage of minority students (Frost, 2007). A possible explanation for this, is the finding that minority students have more optimistic beliefs about their educational opportunities (Goldsmith, 2004). Additionally, studies have found that the school climate is more optimistic in ethnic concentration schools than in ethnically diverse schools (Van Houtte & Stevens, 2010). It can thus be hypothesized that the ethnic composition of a primary school affects the choices pupils will consider. Nevertheless, this association between ethnic composition and inequalities in educational choice remains poorly investigated for the primary school. This study aims to examine the association between the ethnic diversity of Flemish (Belgian) primary schools and the educational choice pupils make in the transition to secondary school. Does the ethnic diversity of the school influence this educational choice, and if so, how can we explain this effect? 

Boone, S., & Van Houtte, M. (2012). The impact of primary schools' socioeconomic composition on social differences in educational choice at the transition from primary to secondary education in Flanders (Belgium). Paper presented at the International Sociological Association Mid-term conference., Tampa, FL, USA. Frost, M. B. (2007). Texas students' college expectations: Does high school racial composition matter? Sociology of Education, 80(1), 43-65. Goldsmith, P. A. (2004). Schools' racial mix, students' optimism, and the black-white and Latino-white achievement gaps. Sociology of Education, 77(2), 121-147. Van Houtte, M., & Stevens, P. A. J. (2010). School ethnic composition and aspirations of immigrant students in Belgium. British Educational Research Journal, 36(2), 209-237.