Abstract
Academic success and excellence in marks are not only due to the students’ intrinsic abilities or skills. A multitude of contextual variables is involved in the teaching and learning process. This study identifies and analyses the contextual variables that most significantly affect students’ academic performance. We used census data from the ESCALA tests and context questionnaires for the 2016/17 school year, both carried out by the Andalusian Agency for Educational Assessment. Hierarchical Linear Models were used in the data analysis, as they facilitate the control and description of contextual factors. In addition, differences in performance were studied according to the contextual variables that the family dimension encompasses. At all times, a contextualised cross-sectional perspective was considered, taking as a criterion the covariates with significance values lower than 0.01 in the multilevel models and contrast tests. Finally, a list of contextual variables contributing to the explanation of performance is presented. The socio-economic and cultural conditions of families, their expectations towards their children’s education, and their level of involvement in schools have a significant influence on the academic success of primary school students. Academic success is higher among students with families who play an active role and have positive expectations regarding learning.
Highlights
The gender variable stands out as a significant factor influencing the academic performance of primary school students, with girls achieving the best results
Few studies have focused on the Spanish context to determine which family or contextual factors have an impact on academic performance [9,21,41,42] and only a small part of these studies considers the multilevel effect of these factors in the educational environment [1,20]
The results of the multilevel study show that variables such as the gender of students, the amount of time spent on homework, bedtime, and afterschool activities have a significant influence on the academic achievement of Andalusian primary school students
Summary
This study is part of the School Effectiveness and School Improvement Movement (SESI), a theoretical–practical research approach with the purpose of understanding and explaining the reality of education [1]. It is based on two different but complementary lines of research, which share the aim of understanding the factors involved in learning and academic success [2]. There is the theoretical side, of a quantitative nature, which focuses on the study of school effectiveness in terms of performance. In addition to its relevance today, the school effectiveness and improvement movement has a long history in the field of educational research, originating in 1966 with the Coleman Report, which identified the shortcomings that existed in relation to school performance and educational transformation [1]
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