How curriculum modifications shape educational pathways: Evidence from linked administrative data in Switzerland

Abstract

Abstract The increasing heterogeneity of learning needs and preconditions in inclusive mainstream classrooms entails that not all learners are equally able to meet the regular learning objectives. In response, various integrative measures have been implemented to tailor instruction to students' individual needs. However, limited empirical evidence exists on how such measures shape students' subsequent educational pathways. The present study focuses on curriculum modifications, a measure for low‐achieving students that entails individualised adaptations of learning objectives, and examines their association with educational pathways in secondary education, using Switzerland as a case study. Drawing on stigma and signalling theories, the study investigates whether receiving curriculum modifications is linked to differential educational trajectories. The analysis is based on large‐scale, administratively linked test score data from four Swiss cantons and employs a propensity score matching approach to account for the multidimensional differences between students who received curriculum modifications and those who did not. Results from a series of logistic regression models indicate that students receiving curriculum modifications are more likely to enter less academically demanding educational pathways and to experience disruptive educational transitions than comparable students without curriculum modifications. These findings suggest that, despite their intention to promote inclusion, curriculum modifications may inadvertently pose an obstacle for students' educational pathways in secondary education.