Multilevel Classification of PISA 2015 Research Participant Countries' Literacy and These Classes' Relationship with Information and Communication Technologies

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to distinguish the reading skills of students participating in PISA 2015 application into multi-level latent classes at the student and country level. Furthermore, it is aimed to examine how the clusters emerged at country-level is predicted by variables as students have the information and communication technology (ICT) resources. The population of this research, which is in a descriptive survey model consists of all students who are aged 15 from 72 countries which participated in the PISA 2015 application. As for sample, it is made up of 519.334 students and 17.908 schools which were chosen randomly for PISA 2015 application from these countries. In analyzing data, a multi-level latent class and three-step analysis were employed. Analyses have shown that having ICT resources at home is the most influential variable on the reading skills of countries. It is determined both in in-country and across countries that there are some differences in ICT resources at home and school. In this context, it may be stated that the equal opportunity in education has not been provided in many countries on international scale.