The existence and impact of floor effects for low-performing PISA participants

ABSTRACT

Modern international studies of educational achievement have grown in terms of participating educational systems. Accompanying this development is an increase in heterogeneity, as more and different kinds of educational systems take part. This growth has been particularly pronounced among low-performing, less economically developed systems. Although studies such as PISA have made modifications to account for increased diversity, the degree to which international assessments serve educational systems at the lower ends of the achievement continuum is understudied. We used modified Wright maps and PISA’s definition of proficiency to evaluate the fitness of PISA, especially among low performers. Our findings suggest that there is mismatch between some populations and PISA. Results from a simulation show that such disparities produced biased achievement estimates and correlations with policy relevant variables. Projected PISA growth and new instantiations of PISA, particularly geared toward developing educational systems, make these findings timely and especially relevant.     

Post-elementary education,poverty and development in India

There is a general presumption among many policy makers that secondary and higher education is not necessary for economic growth and development. On the other hand, it is literacy and primary education that is argued to be important. Estimates on internal rate of return also contributed to strengthening of such a presumption. Accordingly, secondary and higher education do not figure on the poverty reduction agenda of many poor countries and of the international aid organisations. The Indian experience also testifies to all this. Secondary and more strikingly higher education has been subject to neglect by the government. Using most recent statistics, it is attempted here to show that the general presumption on the weak or negligible role of secondary and higher education in development is not valid and that post-elementary education is important for reduction in poverty, in improving infant mortality and life expectancy, and for economic growth.     

The effects of school quality on income

This paper uses a unique data set created by merging the Panel Study of Income Dynamics with school data from the Common Core of Data to examine the relationship between school expenditures and earnings. I find that school expenditures are related to earnings, and also positively affect the returns to schooling. This is particularly important given recent papers that have found no effect because this study is able to observe wages at later ages and is estimated for males and females. Robustness estimates find that if the sample were only observed at young ages, or estimated for white males, as has been done previously, the results would not hold. Therefore, it appears that even using an individual-level data set with students educated in this half of the century, school spending affects earnings.     

The spectacle of global tests in the Arabian Gulf: a comparison of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates*

Although scholars have examined the effects of global tests on national and regional educational governance, few researchers have studied their impact on education in the Arabian Gulf. This research fills the knowledge gap by studying the international spectacle of PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS results in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – two small rich states at the periphery of knowledge production processes. I argue that an analysis of these narratives reveals how global accountability discourses are translated into the Arabian Gulf context as truth claims that performance in league tables is an accurate and objective representation of educational quality. Four themes emerge from the analysis: integration of test results into national visions; measurement of educational progress based on test results; ranking of student performance; and policy changes to improve test results. In conclusion, I suggest that the over-dependence on global tests in defining educational quality in Qatar and the UAE erodes educational sovereignty and restricts the capacity of small states to develop and nurture alternative, indigenous and localised solutions for guiding educational reforms.     

Social justice,capabilities and the quality of education in low income countries

The paper sets out a theoretical approach for understanding the quality of education in low income countries from a social justice perspective. The paper outlines and critiques the two dominant approaches that currently frame the debate about education quality, namely, the human capital and human rights approaches. Drawing principally on the ideas of Nancy Fraser and Amyarta Sen the paper then sets out an alternative approach based on a theory of social justice and of capabilities. The paper develops an overall understanding of how education quality can be understood in relation to the extent to which it fosters key capabilities that individuals, communities and society in general have reason to value. It then analyses three inter-related dimensions of the quality of education from a social justice perspective. Each dimension is considered in relation to contemporary policy debates and research including the work of EdQual. The first dimension, that of inclusion draws attention to the access of different groups of learners to quality inputs that facilitate the development of their capabilities, the cultural and institutional barriers that impact on the learning of different groups and priorities for overcoming these. The second dimension, that of relevance, is concerned with the extent to which the outcomes of education are meaningful for all learners, valued by their communities and consistent with national development priorities in a changing global context, whilst the third dimension, that of democracy considers how decisions about education quality are governed and the nature of participation in debates at the local, national and global levels. It is argued that a social justice framework can provide an alternative rationale for a policy emphasis on quality that encompasses but goes beyond that provided by human capital and rights approaches; that through emphasising the importance of context and through providing a normative basis for thinking about quality in relation to development, it provides a useful starting point for re-conceptualising education quality and how it can be evaluated; and, that it draws attention to the central importance of public dialogue and debate at the local, national and global levels about the nature of a quality education and quality frameworks at these levels.     

International migration and remittance effects on school enrolment of children staying behind: The evidence from Tajikistan

This paper explores the impact of international migration on school enrolment of children staying behind in Tajikistan, by using data from a large nationally representative household survey. By correcting endogeneity and self-selection of migration and remittance with respect to school enrolment, the results show that migration of household members reduces the probability of enrolling in school by 10.3 percentage points for children who belong to households with migrants. The effect of parental migration is larger than migration of other household members. Receiving remittances does not fully offset the adverse impact of migration.     

Light quality and temperature effects on antirrhinum growth and development

An experiment was carried out to examine the effects of light quality on the growth and development of antirrhinum under three different temperatures 19℃, 24℃ and 27℃ in glasshouses. Five different colour filters (i.e. 'Red absorbing', 'Blue absorbing', 'Blue and Red absorbing' and two 'partially Blue absorbing' materials) were     

Family income, parent education, and perceived constraints as predictors of observed program quality and parent rated program quality

Observed child care quality and parent perceptions of child care quality received by children in poor (below Federal Poverty Line, FPL), low-income (between FPL and 200% of FPL), and non-low-income families were examined. Observations were completed in 359 center- and home-based child care programs in four Midwestern states and surveys were received from 1313 parents whose children were enrolled in these programs. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that programs with higher proportions of low-income families tend to have lower observed quality than programs with a higher proportion of non-low-income families. Programs with more educated parents tended to have better observed quality, however, more educated parents tended to have lower perceptions of quality.     

Measuring access to learning over a period of increased access to schooling: The case of Southern and Eastern Africa since 2000

This paper examines the extent to which increased access to primary schooling in ten Southern and East African countries between 2000 and 2007 was also accompanied by increased access to actual learning. We develop a measure of access to learning that combines data on education access and learning achievement to measure the proportions of children in the population (including those enrolled and not enrolled) that reach particular thresholds of literacy and numeracy. In all countries there was greater access to learning in 2007 than in 2000. These improvements in access to learning especially benefited girls and children from poor households.     

人文教育对深化大学生素质教育的作用

知识不等于素质，素质教育不仅是知识的传授，而且是通过人文教育和科学教育，在培养人文精神和科学精神的基础上，使知识内化为人的品格，以提高人的格调，品位和修养。     

The validity of student ratings of teaching quality: Factorial structure,comparability, and the relation to achievement

Student ratings are widely used to assess teaching quality in primary and secondary education. This necessitates a thorough examination their validity and reliability in such contexts. To this end, we present validity evidence for using student ratings of teaching quality based on their factorial structure, comparability across grades and subjects, and relation to achievement. Based on data from the 2019 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and its national extensions in Norway (N = 3951 5th graders and N = 4575 9th graders), we could confirm a theoretically assumed three-dimensional factor structure (i.e., classroom management, cognitive activation, and supportive climate). Moreover, classroom management and supportive climate were more comparable across grades and subjects then cognitive activation. Finally, classroom management was associated with achievement across all groups, whereas other dimensions showed mixed results, especially across grades. Overall, the findings indicate that students, especially in Grade 9, can provide a valid assessment of teaching quality.     

Determinants of salary growth in Shenzhen, China: an analysis of formal education, on-the-job training, and adult education with a three-level model

Using 1996 surveyed data of 1023 employees in Shenzhen, China, this study estimated the effects of three forms of human capital on employee salary, namely formal education, on-the-job training provided by employers, and adult education pursued by employees. Using a hierarchical linear model, the analysis estimated employee monthly salary growth over a maximum of six years due to (a) such temporal factors as work experience and improved performance, (b) individual-level characteristics, and (c) firm-level characteristics. This study found that (a) pre-work formal education was positively associated with salary only at hiring, (b) employees' experience in changing production technology as well as on-the-job training were positively associated with salary increases through improved technical proficiency, formal education was not; (c) manufacturing firms introduced more new production technology than the service sector and provided more on-the-job training, thus improving workers' performance and increasing their salary.     

美育在素质教育中的地位和作用

素质教育不能缺少美育。素质教育从其本质来说,就是学生德、智、体全面发展的教育,是以全面培养、完善和提高全体青年一代和全体国民的身体、智能和品德素质为根本目的的教育。美学家、教育家都十分重视美育对人的全面发展的作用。美育可陶冶人的道德情操,可以开发人的智力和创造力,可以促进人们对心灵美和形体美的追求,促进人的全面完美的发展。实施素质教育,美育是其中一个不可缺失的环节。没有美育的素质教育是不完全的素质教育。     

“道”、“德”的层次性与学校德育改革

中国传统的道德哲学具有丰富的层次性和深刻的内涵。当前我们必须重新思考我国学校德育的改革 ,培养新的道德主体 ,以走出学校德育的困境     

高等教育质量与就业竞争力

高等教育质量与高校毕业生就业竞争力存在相辅相成的关系,提高毕业生就业竞争力有助于提升高等教育质量。当前,高校办学理念和实践中存在重向上服务、轻向下服务;重管理、轻领导;重单干、轻联盟;重科研、轻教学;重实干、轻宣传的倾向,不利于毕业生就业竞争力和办学质量的提高,需要确立"以生为本"的理念,全面服务学生;推崇自我领导,强化自主意识;实施联盟战略,增加办学资本;加强宣传,扩大影响;统筹教学、科研和社会服务职能,提高毕业生就业竞争力,进而全面提升高等教育质量。     

自然辩证法概论课教学与素质教育

分析素质教育与自然辩证法概论课的教学目标、教学要求的辩证关系 ,阐述自然辩证法概论课要主动适应素质教育的需要 ,发挥这门课的教育功能     

略论合作教育在我国素质教育中的地位和作用

素质教育是提高我国国际竞争力的重要战略措施，但竞争与合作又是辨证的，合作教育可以将竞争与合作统一起来，是推动素质教育之中，要根据中国国情进行吸收和改造。     

The characteristics and quality of pre-school education in Spain

We examined 25 four-year-old pre-school classrooms from a random sample of 15 schools within a large urban city in southern Spain. Observational measures of classroom quality included the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System and the Observation of Activities in Pre-school. Findings revealed that, on average, classroom quality was low in regards to space and materials, developmentally appropriate activities and instruction; however, classrooms were relatively high on positive climate and productivity, and teachers demonstrated positive relationships with families. The observed ratio of children to teachers was high across classrooms. Results from regression analyses indicate that a higher ratio was associated with lower quality language modelling, teacher feedback and personal care routines available in these settings. Qualitative data from teacher interviews highlighted the importance of a pre-school education for children's development and school readiness, but also emphasised the challenges teachers faced with the new government-subsidised, universal pre-school programme, including increased class sizes and a lack of staff and resources. Implications for maintaining high-quality programme standards are discussed.     

远程教育与传统面授教育质量关系的三维模型

我国远程教育取得了丰硕的成果,但质量问题同时也成为社会和媒体关注的焦点。当前,我国远程教育的质量受传统面授教育质量观的束缚,这是不利于远程教育的发展的,所以,有必要弄清两者之间的关系。我们从学生类型、院校类型和结构三个维度来建构两者之间关系的模型,希望该模型能全面概括我国远程教育和传统面授教育质量的关系,并能作为我国远程教育质量观的理论基础。     

新经济时代与高校人文素质教育

新经济与人精神具有紧密的内在联系。弘扬人精神是高校不可推卸的历史责任。当前，高校人教育的现状不能满足新经济时代的要求，必须转变教育观念，整合教育实践的各环节，重塑大学教师的人素质，才能为新经济的合理、健康发展提供精神动力和智力支撑。