Abstract
Widespread research on educational systems has made it possible to identify the main factors that define students’ educational success. Nevertheless, these studies have not been very efficient when it comes to transferring their conclusions to the applied contexts where those who teach or make decisions about educational systems move. The main reason for this failure lies on the unfamiliarity of education professionals with the sophisticated statistical and psychometric methodology used by most researchers. The goal of this paper is to analyze educational systems using the Network Analysis methodology, which is very affordable, clear, and intuitive for teachers and educational leaders without a great methodological sophistication. A sample of 7,882 eighth-graders was used. Students’ mathematical skills were evaluated and data were obtained from their educational context. Network Analysis was used calculating indicators of centrality, as well as precision and stability of the network. The results indicate that academic self-concept and academic expectations have an important effect on performance in mathematics. The findings match with those previously obtained with other approaches. The Network Analysis methodology offers an ideal combination of analytical rigor and interpretative simplicity, that provides a great potential to be used in applied educational contexts for evidence-based decision making.
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