Published in: Large-scale Assessments in Education
Abstract:
Boys in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia consistently and significantly underperform compared to girls across different grades and subjects, forming one of the largest gender gaps in student achievement in the world. Saudi Arabia offers a unique setting in which boys and girls attend separate schools on a universal basis starting from grade 1. This means that boys and girls are educated only by male and female teachers, respectively, in effect inhabiting parallel education systems. In this context, this study examines the factors that are associated with student achievement in mathematics and science in grades 4 and 8 and the extent to which these associations are different for boys and girls, in an effort to gain insights into boys’ underachievement in mathematics and science in Saudi Arabia. The paper employs data from two recent large-scale assessments of education: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 and Saudi Arabia’s National Assessment of Learning Outcomes (NALO) 2018. A series of hierarchical two-level linear regression models showed that in grade 4, school climate was more strongly associated with boys’ compared with girls’ achievement in both mathematics and science, with boys attending schools of poorer school climate having a considerably lower performance compared with girls attending such schools. The findings also indicated that although greater literacy and numeracy readiness was linked with higher science achievement among boys and girls, grade 4 boys tended to benefit more from this readiness than girls. In addition, the results show that student absenteeism in grade 4 is particularly strongly associated with decreases in mathematics achievement among boys. In grade 8, significant interactions between gender and the extent to which students feel confident in science, the degree of schools’ emphasis on academic success, and teachers’ age are observed. The paper concludes by discussing some of the implications of these findings for educators and policy makers in Saudi Arabia.
Elsayed, M., Clerkin, A., Pitsia, V., Aljabri, N., & al-Harbi, K. (2022). Boys’ underachievement in mathematics and science: An analysis of national and international assessment data from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Large-scale Assessments in Education, 10 (23). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40536-022-00141-9
Published in: Education Policy Analysis Archives
Abstract:
Reducing the socio-economic achievement gap is a key goal of education policy internationally. Since 2017, the stated intention in Ireland is to use the Pobal HP Deprivation Index to identify schools serving high proportions of disadvantaged students. In spite of this, little published research has compared the performance of the HP index to richer survey measures from large-scale educational assessments or examined its association with educational achievement at primary or second level. This paper aims to assess the validity and fitness for purpose of the HP index for use in identifying schools serving high concentrations of socio-economically disadvantaged students. Analyses draw on Ireland’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 dataset matched with administrative data. Findings show a strong correlation between school-average HP and other socio-economic measures examined. However, about one-in-five schools are identified as potential ‘false positives’ or ‘false negatives’ when school-average HP is used for identification purposes. Also, school-average HP explains less variance in reading achievement than other variables considered. Conclusions recognize the benefits of the HP index but emphasize the need for ongoing examination of the most appropriate methods of identification.
Gilleece, L., & McHugh, G. (2022). Validating school-based measures of educational disadvantage in Ireland. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30 (169). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.7245
Published in: European Journal of Educational Research
Abstract:
Recent educational policy initiatives in Ireland have focused on improving outcomes in reading and mathematics among students, particularly those experiencing educational disadvantage. However, science achievement in Irish primary schools has received much less research attention, especially in the context of educational disadvantage. This article examines science achievement and its relationship to school compositional effects in primary schools at the national level, including school-average indicators of the school context, as well as examining factors associated with science achievement in three distinct categories of schools (those with high, moderate, or minor levels of educational disadvantage). The data are drawn from the Fourth grade Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 database for Ireland. Multilevel analyses were implemented in a stepwise manner. Findings suggest the relevance of school contexts with regard to science achievement. Before including school-level contextual variables, students from ‘minor disadvantaged’ schools achieved significantly higher science scores than students from schools with ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ levels of disadvantaged. However, this difference disappears after controlling for predictors at the school level. The findings highlight the importance of the home environment, including early numeracy activities and skills before children start school. Results are discussed with regard to educational policy and educational practice in Ireland.
Nonte, S., Clerkin, A., & Perkins, R. (2022). An examination of science achievement and school compositional effects in Ireland using TIMSS data. European Journal of Educational Research, 11(4), 2523-2536. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.4.2523
E-Appendices are available at the following links: E-Appendix Chapter 1, E-Appendix Chapter 3, E-Appendix Chapter 4, E-Appendix Chapter 5.
Information sheets summarising some key findings are also available:
Published in: Wellbeing and Schooling. Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research
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This chapter describes two programmes, with significant similarities and differences, that have been available in Ireland since 1974 (Transition Year; TY) and South Korea since 2013 (Free Year Programme ; FYP ). TY takes place over one full year as an integrated part of mainstream secondary education. TY students engage in developmental activities, vocational work experience, and increased interaction with the adult world. These experiences are intended to facilitate enhanced maturity and broadened horizons, supporting young people in becoming fulfilled citizens. Although TY is well-established within Ireland, it is an unusual innovation internationally. However, 2013 saw the introduction of FYP , which was partially informed by TY. South Korean policy-makers recognised concern about student wellbeing and stress in a high-stakes academic environment , and challenges relating to students’ readiness for the working world. FYP is a response to those concerns. This chapter offers an overview and comparisons between the two programmes. We argue that both are founded on a eudaimonic view of wellbeing in education, aiming for more holistic and rounded student development. Significantly, both programmes emphasise community engagement and interpersonal development, alongside personal development and self-directed learning. The challenges and practices identified offer lessons for educators in Ireland, South Korea, and other jurisdictions.
Clerkin, A., Jeffers, G. & Choi, S.D. (2022). Wellbeing in personal development: Lessons from national school-based programmes in Ireland and South Korea. In: McLellan, R., Faucher, C. & Simovska, V. (eds) Wellbeing and Schooling. Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research. Vol. 4 (pp.155-172). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95205-1_10
This report represents one of two outputs from the third strand of this project which has the overall aim of developing a framework for the evaluation of Teachers’ Professional Learning (TPL). The project consists of detailed desk-based research, including a literature review (Rawdon, Sampson, Gilleece, & Cosgrove, 2020); a survey of teachers and principals in primary, post-primary, and special schools (Rawdon, Gilleece, Denner, Sampson, & Cosgrove, 2021); consultation with TPL providers (Rawdon & Gilleece, 2022); consultation with children and young people; and a case-study focusing on an evaluation of a specific TPL opportunity (in the area of student wellbeing). The various strands of the research project will ultimately lead to the publication of a research-based framework for the evaluation of TPL. The term TPL was selected for use in the current project in order to acknowledge the full range of learning activities undertaken by teachers
Published in: Irish Educational Studies
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The task of effectively embedding digital technology use in classrooms is among the challenges currently faced by educators in Ireland and internationally. This paper builds on analyses conducted as part of a longitudinal evaluation of Ireland’s Digital Learning Framework. Findings suggest that many teachers – especially at the post-primary level – have a somewhat restricted view of what ‘embedding’ means in this context. Such responses indicate a focus on using digital devices for activities that would be happening in the classroom already, rather than embracing more flexible and constructivist pedagogical approaches to take advantage of the range of options provided by digital technology for teaching, learning and assessment. This implies that even if all of the infrastructure and connectivity needs of schools in Ireland are met over the coming years – itself a substantial task – there is a risk that teachers may not use these devices as effectively as could be. We argue that digital technology in the classroom can open up new possibilities for how education (teaching, learning, assessment) is carried out. We explore how teachers’ understanding of the concept of ‘embedding’ can be strengthened and the envisaged impact on children’s education of doing so.
Feerick, E., Clerkin, A., & Cosgrove, J. (2022). Teachers’ understanding of the concept of “embedding” digital technology in education. Irish Educational Studies, 41 (1), 27-39. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03323315.2021.2022521
