The relationship between inquiry-based learning and science self-efficacy was analysed using data from 57 countries and economics participating in the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This analysis generated a mediating--moderating model, which involved the mediating role of science interest and the moderating role of…

In this study, we test how the level of relative teacher wages affects educational outcomes. Russia provides a unique setting for testing this relationship given its high regional heterogeneity. We use two measures of educational outcomes at different levels of the school system. Our results show that the level of relative teacher wages has a…

Disciplinary climate and opportunity to learn (OTL) are considered as effectiveness-enhancing factors that can improve mathematics achievement. In this study, we investigated whether the school-level aggregation of student-reported OTL could yield reliable and valid measures, and then explored the relationships among disciplinary climate, OTL, and…

Students' intercultural competence and reading ability are an essential aspect of their education. Intercultural competence, defined as respect for the cultural views, beliefs, and traditions of others, is a necessary skill for effective and appropriate communication. Using a multidimensional model, this study investigated the effect of…

Information and communication technology (ICT) is key to educational development. This study explores the mechanism influencing the use of ICT on students' science literacy. We utilized two-level hierarchical linear models and structural equation models to analyze data collected from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in…

This study aimed to compare different mediation analysis methods (BK, Sobel, and bootstrapping) based on single mediation models for groups of different sizes. For this purpose, the PISA 2012 data for Turkey were used. In order to compare the mediation analysis methods, 4,848 students from Turkey that participated in PISA 2012 were divided into…

This study aims to compare the performances of the artificial neural network, decision trees and discriminant analysis methods to classify student achievement. The study uses multilayer perceptron model to form the artificial neural network model, chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) algorithm to apply the decision trees method and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to combine seemingly unrelated factors to explain global competitiveness. The study argues that school discipline and education investment affect competitiveness with the association being mediated by educational performance. Crucially, diachronic effects of discipline on performance are tested to demonstrate…

The OECD's Programme of International Student Assessment known as PISA, including the Gender Report published in 2015, is a well-received project and its findings keep being transferred into educational policy development. Its quantitative methodology and the sheer volume of data gathered from around 5,100,000 students from 65 countries seem to…

This book seeks to illustrate the research on mathematics competencies and disposition in China according to the conceptual development and empirical investigation perspective. Mathematics education in China has a distinguishing feature a focus of attention to mathematical competency. Paradoxically, there has not been an explicit, refined, and…

This study investigates the multivariate relationships among socioeconomic factors, special education coverage (SEC), and reading across countries participating in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Three socioeconomic factors were considered: (a) gross national income per capita, (b) income inequality via the Gini index, and…

To find out if information and communication technology (ICT) could narrow the achievement gaps among students caused by variations in their socioeconomic status, this study examines the mediating mechanism of ICT use between students' socioeconomic status (SES) and achievement. Data from the 2012 East Asia Program for International Student…

As it has been realized that education is a key to a long-term economic growth and to reducing social and economic disadvantages, educational inequality and its reflections in the geography have become some of the major issues in many countries. Turkey is in many ways a good example to analyze the relations between class, education, and regional…

Introduction: Evidence has remained scarce whether teaching practices might be linked to students' educational equality. This study investigated (i) whether student-oriented teaching practices are associated with students' learning outcomes in mathematics, and (ii) whether student-oriented teaching might increase equality in learning outcomes…

Mathematics competency is fast becoming an essential requirement in ever greater parts of day-to-day work and life. Thus, creating strategies for improving mathematics learning in students is a major goal of education research. However, doing so requires an ability to look at many aspects of mathematics learning, such as demographics and…