Effects of Educational Context Variables on Gender Difference of Students in Computer-Based Assessment of Mathematics

Author(s):

Jung-A Han(presenting / submitting)Moonsoo Lee(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2016

Network:

09. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

Format:

Poster

Session Information

09 SES 04.5 PS, General Poster Session

General Poster Session

Time:

2016-08-24

12:00-13:30

Room:

NM-Concourse Area

Chair:

Contribution

The need to introduce an assessment system based on computers around the world has emerged by building the ICT environment in the knowledge and information society of the 21^st century. Currently, it is being conducted with computer-based assessment such as the GMAT in the United States, CASEC in the Japan, ESPT and i-TEPS in the Korea. There are many cases of changing a paper-based assessment to computer-based assessment. Based on this contemporary flow, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) system was gradually changed. It was introduced the first computer-based assessment in some areas of PISA 2006. Also, it was conducted the computer-based assessment in the mathematics and reading in addition to the paper examination in PISA 2012.

Looking at the number of previous studies using the PISA data in Korea, it was mostly noted the results of paper-based assessment in terms of student achievement. Sohn, Kim, Park, and Park (2009) conducted to find out whether it is possible to explain the differences between countries in students’ science literacy using PISA 2006 data. It mentioned that students’ motivation and self-related belief variables are significant in Korea, Finland and Hong Kong-China. Park, Ha, and Park (2011) showed that reading experience with parents, high educational expenditure and mother’s high level of education were significant for Korea students in PISA 2009 data. They mentioned that female students were less the amount of ICT use than male students. Also, low-usage group of ICT represented the highest achievement and had the most positive attitude in reading. Park and Ha (2011) explored factors have influenced on reading literacy level of Korea students, and compare the differences in PISA 2000 and PISA 2009 data. The effect of gender, reading strategies, diversity of reading materials, the number of students per teacher and average level of education of students’ mother are significant in both data. But, the effect of parents’ cultural possessions is significant only in PISA 2009. Ku, Han, and Kim (2015) conducted a study to compare and analyze the effects of the educational context variables on gender difference in science achievement of Korea, Singapore, Japan and Finland using the PISA 2012 data. In this study, it was observed that the effect of homework time after school and attitude toward learning activity was significant in all four countries. Also, they mentioned that a good relation between the female students and teachers and an instruction to avoid disturbing the class atmosphere by male students were needed to raise science achievement in Korea based on the analysis results.

This study examines the characteristics of Korean students’ achievement in computer-based assessment of Mathematics and compares with Estonia students’ achievement to explore the direction of the education in schools. Estonia showed high achievement in the entire area of PISA 2012 and was known for its excellent IT education. This country was selected to examine the differences in characteristics between countries with different environment of education. At this time, the characteristics of male and female students’ achievement were separately searched focusing on the gender difference in both countries. In other words, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of educational context variables on male and female students’ computer-based assessment of Mathematics in Korea and Estonia and to draw implications for better mathematics education in schools.

Method

Students’ assessment results as well as student, principal survey results were used in this study. Korean and Estonia Students’ achievement results were set up as the dependent variable. Also, it was set up educational context variables of student and school level as independent variables. In order to explore the effects of educational context variables, multilevel analysis was conducted using HLM 7.0 program (Raudenbush, et al., 2011). It provided plausible value of five sets that replaced the missing values caused by a matrix sampling design for achievement results in PISA 2012 data. On the other hand, it provided raw data that not replaced caused by a matrix sampling design for survey results. Because missing by this design can be assumed missing at random (MAR), it produced the 10 sets of imputed data through multiple imputation of the EM method for independent variables. Also, the final results calculated by the method integrating results of 10 sets are reported by using multiple imputation option in HLM program. In addition, the results were calculated by using the final student weight variable to ensure the representativeness of the population. When it put independent variables in each research model, it was designated grand mean centering. Most of the variables used in the analysis are the IRT scale scores with average 0, standard deviation 1 of OECD countries (OECD, 2014, p.314). In the first step of HLM analysis, student-level and school-level variance were estimated by setting a basic model that not contain an independent variable. Through a basic model, it was investigated the amount of variance that occurs due to a difference between the school. Finally, each independent variable in the model was identified the significance and magnitude of the impact on achievement by setting a research model putting all independent variables.

Expected Outcomes

The expected results presented in the CBAM (computer-based assessment of mathematics) analysis for all male and female students in Korea are as follows: First, parents’ cultural possessions and the amount of time spent doing homework after school was significant in student level. Also, computer usefulness as a tool for school learning was significant. Third, the relationship between teachers and students was significant. In particular, female students were greatly influenced in Korea. Finally, school-level ESCS and student factor that affect the school atmosphere were important variables for male and female students. The further results will be discussed in a presentation.

References

Ku, J. O., Han, J. A, & Kim, S. S. (2015). Effects of educational context variables on gender difference in science achievement among top performing countries of PISA 2012. Korean Journal of Educational Evaluation, 28(5), 1381-1400. OECD (2014). PISA 2012 Technical Report. OECD Publishing. Park, H. J., & Ha, Y. J. (2011). Change in determinants of reading literacy level based on PISA databases. Korean Journal of Educational Evaluation, 24(4), 921-942. Park, H. J., Ha, Y. J., & Park, M. H. (2011). Application of the mixture modeling to the student characteristics and reading achievement according to the patterns of ICT use. Korean Journal of Educational Evaluation, 24(3), 733-754. Raudenbush, S. W., Bryk, A. S., Cheong, A. S., Fai, Y. F., Congdon, R. T., & du Toit, M. (2011). HLM 7: Hierarchical linear and nonlinear modeling. Lincolnwood, IL: Scientific Software International. Sohn, W. S., Kim, K. H., Park, C., & Park, H. H. (2009). A Comparison of Multi-level Models for Scientific Literacy across Korea, Finland and Hong Kong-China. Korean Journal of Educational Evaluation, 22(1), 129-149.

Author Information

Jung-A Han (presenting / submitting)

Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation & Yonsei University

Division of Educational Evaluation

Seoul

Moonsoo Lee (presenting)

Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE)