1. EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF NON- COGNITIVE FACTORS AFFECTING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE Joanna Tomkowicz, CTB (with assistance from Wendi Wright, Statistical Analyst at CTB)

2. Student questionnaire highlights Information about the student collected during the administration of OECD test for Schools – About a student, his/her family and home – Learning time – School environment, lessons and subjects – Reading activities, habits, and strategies – Views and experience in science – Views and experience in mathematics All questions in student questionnaire came from PISA student questionnaires Subsets of questions measuring various concepts were scaled using main PISA methodology to derive student level index scores reflecting student attitudes, views, and self-efficacy related to their academic achievement

3. Do non-cognitive factors predict student academic performance? Data: OECD Test for Schools Pilot Spring 2012 – 85 schools Methodology: multiple regression with one predictor at a time – Controlled for student social, economic and cultural status (ESCS) and gender – Dependent variables: reading, mathematics, and science plausible values – Consistent with main PISA methodology Selected non-cognitive factors (predictors) – Disciplinary climate in English lessons – Student-teacher relations – Student reading habits – Disciplinary climate in mathematics lessons – Instrumental motivation to learn mathematics – Instrumental motivation to learn science

4. Disciplinary climate in English Lessons Question: How often does it happen in your English lessons? Statements: – Students don’t listen to what the teacher says – There is noise and disorder – The teacher has to wait a long time for the students to quiet down – Students cannot work well – Students don’t start working for a long time after the class begins Responses: in all classes, in most classes, in some classes, or never/ hardly ever

5. Disciplinary climate in English lessons and reading performance

6. Student-teacher relations Question: Thinking about the teachers at your school: to what extent do you agree with the following statements? Statements – Students get along well with most teachers. – Most teachers are interested in students’ well-being. – Most of my teachers really listen to what I have to say. – If I need extra help, I will receive it from my teachers. – Most of my teachers treat me fairly. Responses: strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree

7. Student-teacher relations and reading performance

8. Students’ reading habits Questions related to reading habits: – Frequency of reading a variety of materials: magazines, comic books, fiction, non-fiction and newspapers because you want to (never or almost never, a few times a year, about once a month, several times a month, or several times a week) – Rating the usefulness of different strategies for understanding and remembering the text (not useful at all to very useful). Examples: I concentrate on the parts of the text that are easy to understand. I summarize the text in my own words. – Rating the usefulness of different strategies for writing a summary (not useful at all to very useful). Examples: I try to copy out accurately as many sentences as possible I carefully check whether the most important facts in the text are represented in the summary Students are classified into six reading profiles based on their reading habits and understanding of learning strategies

9. Reader Profile Surface Deep Wide Surface and Wide Readers Low level of awareness about effective strategies to understand, summarize and remember information; Read a variety of materials including fiction and non-fiction regularly. Deep and Wide Readers High level of awareness of effective learning strategies; Read a variety of materials including fiction and non- fiction regularly. Narrow Surface and Narrow Readers Low level of awareness of effective strategies; Read some materials for enjoyment regularly. Deep and Narrow Readers High level of awareness of effective learning strategies; Read some materials for enjoyment regularly. Highly Restricted Surface and Highly Restricted Readers Low level of awareness of effective strategies; Spend little time reading any printed materials for enjoyment. Deep and Highly Restricted Readers High level of awareness of effective learning strategies; Do not often read any printed materials for enjoyment.

10. ‘Deep and Wide’ reading habits and reading performance

11. ‘Deep’ reading habits and reading performance

12. Disciplinary climate in Mathematics lessons Question: How often does it happen in your mathematics lessons? Statements: – Students don’t listen to what the teacher says – There is noise and disorder – The teacher has to wait a long time for the students to quiet down – Students cannot work well – Students don’t start working for a long time after the class begins Responses: in all classes, in most classes, in some classes, or never/ hardly ever

13. Disciplinary climate in mathematics lessons and mathematics performance

14. Instrumental motivation to learn mathematics Question: Thinking about your views on mathematics: To what extent do you agree with the following statements? Statements: – Making an effort in mathematics is worth it because it will help me in the work that I want to do later on – Learning mathematics is worthwhile for me because it will improve my career prospects – Mathematics is an important subject for me because I need it for what I want to study later on – I will learn many things in mathematics that will help me get a job Responses: strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree

15. Instrumental motivation to learn mathematics and mathematics performance

16. Instrumental motivation to learn science Question: How much do you agree with the statements below? Statements – Making an effort in my science class(es) is worth it because this will help me in the work I want to do later on – What I learn in my science class(es) is important for me because I need this for what I want to study later on – I study science because I know it is useful for me – Studying science is worthwhile for me because what I learn will improve my career prospects – I will learn many things in my science class(es) that will help me get a job Responses: strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree

17. Instrumental motivation to learn science and science performance

18. Summary Yes, there is a strong association between non-cognitive factors and student performance after controlling for student ESCS and gender Reading habits – the strongest predictor of reading performance Motivation to learn associated with better student performance in the two domains (stronger association for mathematics) Disciplinary climate and student-teacher relations – moderate predictor of student academic achievement Important to help students develop good reading habits, motivation to learn, and to cultivate positive school environment to enhance student academic achievement