Jesuína Fonseca|María Odete Valente|Joseph Conboy
Student characteristics and PISA science performance: Portugal in cross-national comparison
University of Lisbon|University of Lisbon|University of Lisbon
problem statement pisa 2006 indicates portuguese students performance science although improving still lower ocde countries role student characteristics interests gender economic social cultural status escs scientific literacy scores portugal compare selected countries purpose study study compares portuguese students performance pisa 2006 scientific literacy students oecd spain france united kingdom turkey greece usa study also examines students science interests selfefficacy beliefs competences furthermore study identifies student variables may help explain performance science research methods data selected pisa 2006 student science performance b interests beliefs measured student questionnaire order answer research questions performed secondary analyses using hierarchical linear modeling 2006 pisa sample portugal consisted 5109 students 173 schools ages 153 162 findings changeinscore coefficients fitted model indicate escs effect strongest usa finland uk schoolwide escs effect superior student escs performance factor countries exception finland mean differences performance tend favor boys several countries gender contribute significant change score fitted models countries general value science enjoyment science science self efficacy positively associated performance negative association personal value science performance observed association participation nonschool science activities performance either negative nonsignificant conclusions constellation associated factors differs country country factors stand crossnationally valid knowledge kinds factors useful improvement teachinglearning systems crossnational factors simplify general models countryspecific factors help identify target local concerns 2010 published elsevier ltd