The Influence of Sex,Education and Age on Test Scores on the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test

This study describes the effects of sex, education and age on the total test score on the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSA T), a test used in the selection process to colleges and universities in Sweden since 1977. Its use has so far been limited to one of four quota groups consisting of applicants 25 years or older and with more than four years of work experience. Statistical methods used in this study are regression models with dummy variables and estimated with a corner‐point parameterization. The results indicate rather genuine differences in every variable studied. Test takers with a higher education obtain a higher mean score than those with a lower education and older test takers obtain a higher mean score on the subtests vocabulary (WORD) and general information (GI) than younger persons. The mean test score for men is higher than the corresponding score for women, even if differences in education and age are controlled for. Finally some statistical problems related to the analysis of data of this type are discussed.     

Different Methods – Different Results: How the Swedish Results in Mathematics Vary Depending on Methodological Approach

The results for TIMSS population 2 in Sweden indicated that Swedish student achievement in mathematics was average. There were even mass media reports that indicated that Swedish students had some of the lowest results in mathematics. The issue that is addressed in this article is whether the performance of Swedish students is average or even low. To answer this, the basis of comparison between the different countries needs to be discussed. Mass media, for example, based its comparison on all 45 countries participating in TIMSS population 2 and in its national TIMSS report, the Swedish National Agency for Education presented a different selection of countries. The report compared the results of the 25 countries that met the sampling requirements set by the TIMSS International Study Centre. This focuses the discussion on what approaches are used when comparing results from different countries in an international comparative study. In this article the TIMSS results, as presented by the Swedish National Agency for Education, are compared with the results obtained with other methodological approaches. The comparison is based on the importance of three variables for the results of the comparison: equal number of years in school, the selection of countries, and the contents of the textbooks in the different countries. The results indicate that the number of years in school, as well as the content of the textbooks in each country, are important factors when comparing the results for different countries.     

Telework in academia: associations with health and well-being among staff

Higher Education - As the development of technical aids for telework has progressed, work has become more flexible in time and space. Among academics, the opportunity to telework has been embraced...