Abstract
This study examined the associations between school entry skills and science achievement at both the student and school levels among fourth-grade students in South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong. Data of the five Asian regions in the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were analysed. Variables included Interest, Self-concept, School entry skills - reported by parents, Cognitive activities, Parent attitudes toward mathematics and science, Home educational resources, and Gender, all at the student level, and Emphasis on academic success, Discipline problems, and School entry skills – reported by principals at the school level. Results of the multilevel path analysis indicated that School entry skills positively and directly influenced science achievement, and simultaneously mediated the influence from cognitive activities to science achievement at the student level. These findings were consistent among the five Asian regions. At the school level, it was found that compared to School entry skills, School emphasis on academic success was the stronger predictor of science achievement among students for most Asian regions. Implications for improving primary school students’ science learning are discussed.
Highlights
Why Asian students always perform so well in international tests (e.g. PISA, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)) has attracted great attention worldwide
This study examined the associations between school entry skills and science achievement at both the student and school levels among fourth-grade students in South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong
It was found that compared to School entry skills, School emphasis on academic success was the stronger predictor of science achievement among students for most Asian regions
Summary
Why Asian students always perform so well in international tests (e.g. PISA, TIMSS) has attracted great attention worldwide. Places are allocated largely based on students’ cognitive abilities, and this leads to schools in some Asian regions (e.g. Hong Kong, Singapore) becoming more academically segregated. Given this background, it is possible that great school entry skills in literacy and numeracy among Asian students account for their science achievement, as well as the differences in science achievement between schools. It is possible that great school entry skills in literacy and numeracy among Asian students account for their science achievement, as well as the differences in science achievement between schools Whether this is the case, and the extent to which excellent science performance at the individual and school levels can be
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