SOME ASPECTS OF MEASURING EDUCATION

Education may be the most frequently used variable in social science r esearch and is among the best predictors across a wide range of models . Despite its importance, education is usually taken for granted. Typi cally little attention is devoted to its conceptualization, operationa lization, or measurement. This article considers (a) what aspects of e ducation typically are and should be ascertained, (b) how reliably and accurately education is usually measured, and (c) special complicatio ns associated with measuring education across time. Data from NORC's G eneral Social Surveys are used to illustrate measurement issues and sh ow the impact of alternative approaches. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.