Causal Mediation in Educational Research: An Illustration Using International Assessment Data

Daniel H Caro

doi:10.1080/19345747.2015.1086913

Abstract

This paper applies the causal mediation framework proposed by Kosuke Imai and colleagues (Imai, Keele, & Tingley, 2010) to educational research by examining the causal mediating role of early literacy activities in parental education influences on reading performance. The paper argues that the study of causal mediation is particularly relevant in educational settings because learning outcomes result from complex interactions involving multiple actors. The analyses use retrospective longitudinal data from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011. The value of international assessment data for producing evidence of causation is discussed. The paper aims to contribute to the study of causation with observational data from educational studies.

Highlights

This paper applies the causal mediation framework proposed by Kosuke Imai and colleagues (Imai, Keele, &Tingley, 2010) to educational research by examining the causal mediating role of early literacy activities in parental education influences on reading performance
Policymakers seek for causal evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions in a context where resources are scarce and interventions can place a great strain on national budgets
In recent years educationalists have become interested in statistical techniques for determining causal effects with observational data

Summary

Introduction

This paper applies the causal mediation framework proposed by Kosuke Imai and colleagues (Imai, Keele, &Tingley, 2010) to educational research by examining the causal mediating role of early literacy activities in parental education influences on reading performance. This study explores the value of the causal mediation framework (Imai, Keele, Tingley, & Yamamoto, 2011; Imai & Yamamoto, 2013; Muthén, 2011) for investigating causal mechanisms in educational research using observational data. Causal mediation is illustrated using PIRLS 2011 data to examine the causal mediating role of early literacy activities in parental educational influences on reading performance.

Results

Conclusion