scholarly journals Data Analysis: Strengthening Inferences in Quantitative Education Studies Conducted by Novice Researchers

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-78
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. A. Abulela ◽  
Michael Harwell
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Missing Data ◽  
International Student ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Multilevel Modelling ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Data Analyses

Data analysis is a significant methodological component when conducting quantitative education studies. Guidelines for conducting data analyses in quantitative education studies are common but often underemphasize four important methodological components impacting the validity of inferences: quality of constructed measures, proper handling of missing data, proper level of measurement of a dependent variable, and model checking. This paper highlights these components for novice researchers to help ensure statistical inferences are valid. We used empirical examples involving contingency tables, group comparisons, regression analysis, and multilevel modelling to illustrate these components using the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) data. For every example, we stated a research question and provided evidence related to the quality of constructed measures since measures with weak reliability and validity evidence can bias estimates and distort inferences. The adequate strategies for handling missing data were also illustrated. The level of measurement for the dependent variable was assessed and the proper statistical technique was utilized accordingly. Model residuals were checked for normality and homogeneity of variance. Recommendations for obtaining stronger inferences and reporting related evidence were also illustrated. This work provides an important methodological resource for novice researchers conducting data analyses by promoting improved practice and stronger inferences.

Policy as Assemblage

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 611-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radhika Gorur
Keyword(s):  
International Student ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Research Work ◽  
National Policy ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Policy Work ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Research World

In this article, the author tells the story of her search for appropriate tools to conceptualise policy work. She had set out to explore the relationship between the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Australia's education policy, but early interview data forced her to reconsider her research question. The plethora of available models of policy did not satisfactorily accommodate her growing understanding of the messiness and complexity of policy work. On the basis of interviews with 18 policy actors, including former OECD officials, PISA analysts and bureaucrats, as well as documentary analysis of government reports and ministerial media releases, she suggests that the concept of ‘assemblage’ provides the tools to better understand the messy processes of policy work. The relationship between PISA and national policy is of interest to many scholars in Europe, making this study widely relevant. An article that argues for the unsettling of tidy accounts of knowledge making in policy can hardly afford to obscure the untidiness of its own assemblage. Accordingly, this article is somewhat unconventional in its presentation, and attempts to take the reader into the messiness of the research world as well as the policy world. Implicit in this presentation is the suggestion that both policy work and research work are ongoing attempts to find order and coherence through the cobbling together of a variety of resources.

scholarly journals REFORMATION OF THE PRESENT CURRICULUM OF THE PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION ACCORDING TO THE COMPETENCE – BASED APPROACH

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuljeta Cinga
Keyword(s):  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
University Education ◽  
New Developments ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Instructional Objectives ◽  
Instructional Plans ◽  
Contemporary Education

Up to the present the efforts to raise the quality of the Albanian educational system have been focused mostly in the direction of the content of the school curriculum, delivery of knowledge through the standards, as well as in the direction of instructional plans and programs. These achievements have been insufficient for raising the quality of the contemporary education, a fact that was also noticed by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). 60% of students in Albania did not complete the second level of PISA. The curriculum compilers 2014 using the best international research and practice data in educational field raised the problem of the preceding curriculum, which they characterized as a curriculum traditional in essence. The aim of this work is to argue the proposals of the curriculum compilers for “a curriculum which creates conditions and supports the competence development” through competence mastering, focusing on the students,  needs and demands for education, learning in situations and knowledge building from the students, against a curriculum centered in instructional objectives and focused on the subject content acquirement.Considering the fast rhythm of knowledge explosion in the society of technology and knowledge, the new developments in the work market, changes in conceptions in the learning process, the necessity of reformation of a curriculum “after the competence-based approach” will be argued.

Teacher Education in Singapore

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Loh ◽  
Guangwei Hu
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Teacher Training College

Since the turn of this century, and especially in the past decade, Singapore has consistently done well in international benchmark studies, be it the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), or the International Baccalaureate diploma assessment. Singapore’s sterling performance in these different benchmark assessments has been widely attributed to the quality of its teaching force, which is, in turn, ascribed to the teacher education programs provided by its sole teacher education institution – the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Teacher education began during the country’s colonial past, but there was no designated provider of comprehensive training until teacher training was institutionalized in 1950, when the Teacher Training College was established. After Singapore gained independence in 1965, the institution’s capacity expanded rapidly as a teacher training department and later as a statutory board within the Ministry of Education. In 1991, to raise the stature of teacher education, the Teacher Training College was incorporated as an autonomous institute within the newly formed NTU. Due to the need to ensure the survival of a tiny island nation over the years, it has been imperative to educate the population for industry and development. In the process, tensions have arisen from: (a) the recruitment of huge numbers of teachers and the concomitant quality of their training, (b) collaboration with the Ministry of Education, and (c) the influence of educational research on theory and practice. In the third decade of the 21st century, with the stranglehold that neoliberalism has on many educational systems around the world, including Singapore, will NIE be able to prepare its future teachers to navigate and survive in such a climate, while continuing to strengthen its theory-practice nexus? With the dwindling of student numbers across all sectors and the accompanying reduced need for new teachers in the country, will NIE look beyond the shores of Singapore, internationalize its programs, and take on a leadership role in the region?

scholarly journals Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance of Attitudinal and Social Norm Factors in Math

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Soung Hwa Walker
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
International Student ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Average Variance ◽  
Nationally Representative

The purpose of the present study was to provide a deeper understanding of multidimensional aspects of attitudes and social norms in educational contexts. Specifically, the current investigation aimed to (1) examine reliability and validity of factorial structure of math attitudes (Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive factors) and perceived math social norms (Parent, Peer, and Teacher factors) and (2) test whether measurement of all factors would be invariant across national groups. Three nationally representative sample data (USA, Hong Kong, and Singapore; N = 15,019) were obtained from the 2012 Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) database. High values in Cronbach’s Alpha, Composite Reliability scores, and factor loadings indicated strong internal consistency and convergent validity of all factors. Estimated correlations among latent factors were ranged from small to moderate in value (rs = .21 - .51, ps < .001) and each square root of average variance extracted turned out to be greater than all bivariate correlations (.71 - .85), which supported clear discriminant validity. Furthermore, the results of Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) yielded that measurement of the six factors was equivalent across national groups at the level of strong (scalar) factorial invariance. Implications for math education and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Use of Large Scale Assessment Finding in South Asia: An Experience of Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 80-90
Author(s):  
Chandra Mani Paudel ◽  
Ram Chandra Panday
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
National Assessment ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
Mathematics And Science

This paper tries to present results from a systematic review of literature that reviewed the large-scale assessments finding in the South Asian context especially focusing Nepal. The main objective of the LEAP programme is to reform the quality of learning in the Asia-Pacific region by developing capacity of the Member States to collect, analyze and utilize international and national assessment data identifying learning enablers. The review has identified the high order skills overshadowed by rote learning. It has also employed Item Response Theory (IRT) making assessments comparable and connected with the previous levels. International Assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) collected vast amounts of data on schools, students and households. The use of education-related “big data” for evidence-based policy making is limited, partly due to insufficient institutional capacity of countries to analyze such data and link results with policies.

scholarly journals Melhores práticas e performance de escolas municipais do ensino fundamental no Ceará: Análise da eficiência na gestão escolar

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Felipe Furlan Soriano ◽  
Alexandre Pereira Salgado Junior ◽  
Juliana Chiaretti Novi ◽  
Diogo Furlan Soriano ◽  
Perla Calil Pongeluppe Wadhy Rebehy
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
International Student ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
National Level ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
International Student Assessment

In Brazil, there is a concern with the quality of education, especially when analyzing the results of large-scale evaluations both at the national level, by the Basic Education Development Index (Ideb), and at the international level, by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Thus, as a way of contributing to this issue, this study aimed to identify the best practices that can help improve the performance of Brazilian municipal elementary schools, considered of low socioeconomic level (NSE) in Ideb. The method used was quali-quantitative, where mathematical models were used, such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Quintile Analysis, Logistic Regression and case studies. As a result, 14 best practices were identified that may have contributed to the performance of schools considered efficient. It is hoped that the study can contribute to the enrichment of research in the area, in addition to the financial investment decision process, allocation of public resources and educational policies, through an efficient school management that aims to improve the quality of education in Brazil. 

scholarly journals Knowledge of Physics Subject Teachers Toward Pedagogical Aspects in Public High Schools in Lhokseumawe City

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Syarifah Rita Zahara ◽  
Muliani Muliani ◽  
Wilda Rahmina ◽  
Siska Mauritha
Keyword(s):  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
National Level ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Physics Teachers ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Learning Evaluation ◽  
The Government ◽  
Teacher's Knowledge

In the education quality survey issued by the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), Indonesia is ranked 72nd out of 77 countries. The Teacher Competency Test (UKG) results in Indonesia are still low and still far from being targeted by the government, especially in Aceh province Aceh at the national level is still heartbreaking by being the second lowest in Indonesia. Seeing the problems faced by education in Indonesia, to improve the quality of education, the quality of teachers must be improved first, one of which is by increasing the pedagogical competence of teachers. This study aims to know the pedagogical knowledge of physics teachers in SMA Negeri Lhokseumawe which includes aspects of learning planning, aspects of learning methods and aspects of learning evaluation. The research was conducted in the form of a survey with the population of this study was to take the entire physics subject teachers at SMA Negeri Lhokseumawe, totaling 7 (seven) schools with 28 physics teachers. The samples in this study were 3 schools that were taken by simple random sampling, namely 8 physics teachers at SMA Negeri 2 Lhokseumawe, 3 physics teachers at SMA Negeri 5 Lhokseumawe, and SMA Negeri 7 Lhokseumawe with 2 physics teachers. The results showed that the physics teacher's knowledge on the learning planning aspect was in the category of having good knowledge, meanwhile the physics teacher's knowledge on the learning method aspect already had a fairly good knowledge, while the physics teacher's knowledge on the learning evaluation aspect also had fairly good knowledge. So it can be concluded that physics teachers in the pedagogical aspect are in a fairly good category, meaning that most physics teachers already have a pretty good knowledge of pedagogical aspects

The Big Fish down under: Examining Moderators of the ‘Big-Fish-Little-Pond’ Effect for Australia's High Achievers

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie Seaton ◽  
Herbert W. Marsh ◽  
Alexander Seeshing Yeung ◽  
Rhonda Craven
Keyword(s):  
International Student ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
High Achievers ◽  
Social Constructs ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Australian State ◽  
Large Representative ◽  
Consistent Support ◽  
Representative Samples

Big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) research has demonstrated that academic self-concept is negatively affected by attending high-ability schools. This article examines data from large, representative samples of 15-year-olds from each Australian state, based on the three Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) databases that focus on different subject domains: reading (2000), mathematics (2003) and science (2006). The overarching research question is whether the size or direction of the BFLPE is moderated by any of a total of 67 moderators (for example ability, study methods, motive, social constructs and Australian states) that were considered. The data showed consistent support for the BFLPE across all Australian states for all three databases. None of the constructs examined moderated the BFLPE and this finding was consistent across states. In conclusion, the BFLPE is remarkably robust in Australia and the study findings generalised well across Australian states and across all moderators investigated.

PISA 2012: Examining the influence of prior knowledge, time-on-task, school-level effects on achievements in mathematical literacy processes – Interpret, employ and formulate

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-194
Author(s):  
Sivakumar Alagumalai ◽  
Nicholas Buchdahl
Keyword(s):  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Multilevel Modelling ◽  
School Level ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Mathematical Literacy ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Negative Effect

Recent studies reiterate the importance of mathematical literacy and the identification of skills, knowledge and cognitive processes which contribute to composite test scores to facilitate targeted remediation and extension activities. To this end, the current article examines data from the 2012 cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), using multilevel modelling techniques to explore the relationship between selected student-level and teacher/school-level factors and the three processes of interpret, employ and formulate which were measured as the skills underlying mathematical literacy in that assessment. Results of the analyses indicate that boys outperform girls significantly ( p < 0.001) in all three processes whereby formulate invokes relatively more inter- and intra-level influences compared with interpret. Apart from the relatively higher item-difficulties of formulate, an increase in the complexity of contextual effects at the student and the teacher/school-level emerges as mathematical processes move from interpret to employ to formulate. Findings also reveal that students taught by teachers who had mathematics as a major in their undergraduate studies and who work in relatively smaller classes or groups show higher performance in all three mathematical literacy processes. Use of ICT in mathematics lessons is negatively associated with the three mathematical literacy processes. The additional negative effect of mathematical extracurricular activities at school on the processes highlights the need to rethink how technology and extracurricular lessons are to be used, designed/structured and delivered to optimise the learning of mathematical processes, and ultimately improve mathematical literacy.

scholarly journals Cognitive Diagnosis Modeling Incorporating Item-Level Missing Data Mechanism

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Shan ◽  
Xiaofei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Missing Data ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Cognitive Diagnosis ◽  
Parameter Recovery ◽  
International Student Assessment ◽  
Item Level ◽  
Item Responses ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Cognitive Diagnosis Modeling

The aim of cognitive diagnosis is to classify respondents' mastery status of latent attributes from their responses on multiple items. Since respondents may answer some but not all items, item-level missing data often occur. Even if the primary interest is to provide diagnostic classification of respondents, misspecification of missing data mechanism may lead to biased conclusions. This paper proposes a joint cognitive diagnosis modeling of item responses and item-level missing data mechanism. A Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method is developed for model parameter estimation. Our simulation studies examine the parameter recovery under different missing data mechanisms. The parameters could be recovered well with correct use of missing data mechanism for model fit, and missing that is not at random is less sensitive to incorrect use. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 computer-based mathematics data are applied to demonstrate the practical value of the proposed method.

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