What Can We Learn from Student Attitudes for International Achievement Tests?

Kyle Peyton (), Christopher Ryan and Justin van de Ven
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Kyle Peyton: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne, https://www.melbourneinstitute.com/staff/kpeyton/default.html

Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series from Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne

Abstract: This study looks at whether differences in student attitudes towards mathematics and science between Victorian students and those in selected other countries can explain differences in student achievement between them. We find that they cannot. In general, in the 2011 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) data used here, Victorian school students have more positive attitudes towards mathematics and science than students in high achievement countries. These results also hold where we remove any language effects from the way people respond to attitudinal questions, or any cultural or social-desirability induced elements of the responses. Further, the most reliable estimates of the relationship between attitudes and achievement point to quite small effects, suggesting any increase in achievement associated with improved student attitudes could only be small.

Keywords: International tests; achievement; student attitudes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 47pp
Date: 2016-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-edu and nep-ure
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