20 results
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2. The Value of Smarter Teachers: International Evidence on Teacher Cognitive Skills and Student Performance. Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series. PEPG 14-06
- Author
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Harvard University, Program on Education Policy and Governance, Hanushek, Eric A., Piopiunik, Marc, and Wiederhold, Simon
- Abstract
Differences in teacher quality are commonly cited as a key determinant of the huge international student performance gaps. However, convincing evidence on this relationship is still lacking, in part because it is unclear how to measure teacher quality consistently across countries. We use unique international assessment data to investigate the role of teacher cognitive skills as one main dimension of teacher quality in explaining student outcomes. Our main identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in teacher cognitive skills attributable to international differences in relative wages of nonteacher public sector employees. Using student-level test score data, we find that teacher cognitive skills are an important determinant of international differences in student performance. Results are supported by fixed-effects estimation that uses within-country between-subject variation in teacher skills.
- Published
- 2014
3. Loans for Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Research Paper. Number 20
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
- Abstract
This report reviews the use of loans for learning in 33 European countries and analyses the schemes in eight selected Member States: France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Finland, Sweden and the UK. The analysis shows that loan schemes vary considerably across Europe in terms of types and levels of learning covered, conditions of access, repayment and governance. Some loans aim to increase participation in learning in general, while others are designed to promote equity. The report attempts to assess the selected loans and discusses their strengths and weaknesses and determinants of performance, while considering if a given scheme operates on a large scale or targets niche groups. The evaluation results provide a basis for identifying good practice principles for designing and implementing loans. Policy recommendations are formulated based on these findings. Annexed are: (1) Methodology; (2) Key terms and definitions; (3) Information on countries/schemes selected for in-depth analysis; (4) Proposed typologies of VET loan schemes; (5) Tables and figures; (6) Tosmana truth tables; (7) Questionnaires; (8) Basic characteristics of non-European loan schemes. (Contains 37 tables, 5 figures, 20 boxes and 33 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2012
4. Working and Learning: A Diversity of Patterns. OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 169
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Quintini, Glenda
- Abstract
The combination of work and study has been hailed as crucial to ensure that youth develop the skills required on the labour market so that transitions from school to work are shorter and smoother. This paper fills an important gap in availability of internationally-comparable data. Using the 2012 Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), it draws a comprehensive picture of work and study in 23 countries/regions. Crucially, it decomposes the total share of working students by the context in which they work (VET [vocational education and training], apprenticeships or private arrangements) and assesses the link between field of study and students' work. The paper also assesses how the skills of students are used in the workplace compared to other workers and identifies the socio-demographic factors and the labour market institutions that increase the likelihood of work and study. Finally, while it is not possible to examine the relationship between work and study and future labour market outcomes at the individual level, some aggregate correlations are unveiled.
- Published
- 2015
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5. Test-Taking Engagement in PIAAC. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 133
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Goldhammer, Frank, Martens, Thomas, Christoph, Gabriela, and Lüdtke, Oliver
- Abstract
In this study, we investigated how empirical indicators of test-taking engagement can be defined, empirically validated, and used to describe group differences in the context of the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC). The approach was to distinguish between disengaged and engaged response behavior by means of response time thresholds. Constant thresholds of 3000 ms and 5000 ms were considered, as well as item-specific thresholds based on the visual inspection of (bimodal) response time distributions (VI method) and the proportion correct conditional on response time (P+>0% method). Overall, the validity checks comparing the proportion correct of engaged and disengaged response behavior by domain and by item showed that the P+>0% method performed slightly better than the VI method and the methods assuming constant thresholds. The results for Literacy and Numeracy by module revealed that there was an increase from Module 1 to Module 2 in the proportion of disengaged responses, suggesting a drop in test-taking engagement. The investigation of country differences in test-taking engagement by domain using the P+>0% method showed that the proportion of responses classified as disengaged was quite low. For Literacy, the proportion was well below 5% for the majority of countries; in Numeracy, the proportion was even smaller than 1% for almost all countries; while for Problem solving, the proportion of disengaged responses was more than 5% but usually well below 10%. There were significant differences in test-taking engagement between countries; the obtained effect sizes were small to medium. Population differences in test-taking engagement were highly correlated between the three domains, suggesting that test-taking engagement can be conceived as a consistent characteristic. Furthermore, there was a clear negative association between test-taking disengagement and proficiency in Literacy, Numeracy and Problem solving, respectively. Finally, subgroup differences for gender, age, educational attainment, and language proved to be insignificant or very small. Results suggest that males tend to be more disengaged, that disengagement increases with age in Problem solving, with lower educational attainment and when the test language is not the same as a testee's native language. Appended are: (1) Country differences in test-taking engagement; and (2) Subgroup differences in test-taking engagement.
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- 2016
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6. Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education: Where Do We Strand? OECD Education Working Papers, No. 70
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Vincent-Lancrin, Stephan, and Pfotenhauer, Sebastian
- Abstract
The "Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education" were developed and adopted to support and encourage international cooperation and enhance the understanding of the importance of quality provision in cross-border higher education. The purposes of the "Guidelines" are to protect students and other stakeholders from low-quality provision and disreputable providers (that is, degree and accreditation mills) as well as to encourage the development of quality cross-border higher education that meets human, social, economic and cultural needs. The "Guidelines" are not legally binding and member countries are expected to implement them as appropriate in their national context. Based on a survey about the main recommendations of the "Guidelines", this report monitors the extent to which Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and a few non-member countries comply with its recommendations. The Survey was sent out in June 2010 to all OECD countries. The main conclusion of the survey is that (responding) countries report a high level of compliance with the Guidelines recommendations. On average, responding OECD countries conform to 72% of the main recommendations made to governments, tertiary education institutions, and quality assurance and accreditation agencies. The level of compliance decreases to 67% when recommendations to student bodies are included, but the level of missing information, and thus uncertainty about actual compliance, increases significantly. Appended are: (1) Country Overview of Compliance Levels with the Guidelines for Different Stakeholders; (2) Country Overview of Compliance Levels with Six Key Objectives of the Guidelines; (3) Methodology; (4) Country Answers to the Survey; (5) Overview of National Contact Points; and (6) Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education. (Contains 2 tables, 12 figures and 1 footnote.)
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
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7. School Choice and Equity: Current Policies in OECD Countries and a Literature Review. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 66
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and Musset, Pauline
- Abstract
This literature review on school choice analyses the impact of choice schemes on students and on school systems focusing on equity. Reviewing the evidence can be difficult, as the literature is often fragmented and inconclusive, and the political importance of this research often results in high-profile attention given to individual studies rather than systemically understanding collected from a larger empirical base (Berends, Cannata and Goldring, 2011). Different political groups use evidence that supports their positions in favour or against school choice, and their positions relative to school choice are largely based on their ideologies, rather than on empirical work and evidence of effectiveness (Levin and Belfield, 2004). This report steps away from the ideological debate and provides research-based evidence on the impact of choice on disadvantaged students and schools. As "only with data on the consequences of different plans for school choice will we be able to reach sensible judgements rooted in experience (Fuller and Elmore, 1996, p. 8)". It uses analysis and statements that are supported empirically and attempts to cover the widest possible scope of research, and provide responses to the key question of how to balance choice with equity considerations. (Contains 7 tables, 4 figures, 5 boxes and 13 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
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8. Identifying Work Skills: International Case Summaries. Support Document
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) (Australia) and Siekmann, Gitta
- Abstract
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. The Organisation for works with countries to develop skills strategies tailored to specific needs and contexts. The Organisation prepared a global skills strategy outline over the period 2011 to 2013. Each national skills strategy country project offers a tailored approach to focus on the unique skills challenges, context and objectives of each country. Each project leverages OECD comparative data and policy analysis, fosters collaboration across ministerial portfolios and levels of government while engaging all relevant stakeholders--employers, trade unions, and civil society organisations. In its paper "Towards an OECD Skills Strategy" (OECD 2013), the OECD sets out the main issues which must be addressed by efficient and effective policies for skills formation and skills use. The majority of material in each of the 13 case summaries presented here has been lifted mostly verbatim from original sources. These sources are stated at the beginning of each case summary. [This document is an added resource for the report "Identifying Work Skills: International Approaches. Discussion Paper" which can be accessed in ERIC at ED579874.]
- Published
- 2017
9. Modern Modeling of Student Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning.
- Author
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Nokelainen, Petri and Ruohotie, Pekka
- Abstract
This examination of data selection preceding multivariate analysis compares results grained with "gentle" and "draconian" variable elimination. To acquire comparable results, two stages of statistical exploration into an integrated model of motivation, learning strategies, and quality of teaching were used. The goal of the paper was to select variables that were as powerful as possible and to use them to produce a new factor model, applying both standard linear (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences [SPSS]) and Bayesian (BAYDA) statistical software. The second stage of the research, planned for the future, will involve efforts to produce sensible path models related to the theory. The study of motivation, learning strategies, and teaching used research in a Finnish telecommunications company in which 156 respondents answered a questionnaire with 135 items. The statistical analyses used for variable selection are described. Research results indicate that both teaching style and subject material can influence study motivation and the use of learning strategies. Learning material can be described with respect to the degree that broad theoretical perspectives are developed, and the personal meaningfulness of the subject material or the drawing of logical conclusions from detailed evidence is emphasized. The new statistical methods described, especially the nonlinear approaches based on Bayesian networks, enable the application of statistical analysis to the study of student motivation and self-regulated learning. The SPSS syntax is attached. (Contains 19 tables, 6 figures, and 87 references.) (SLD)
- Published
- 2000
10. Finland Olympiad Studies: What Factors Contribute to the Development of Academic Talent in Finland?
- Author
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Tirri, Kirsi
- Abstract
This paper reports findings from a study of Finnish academic Olympians of different ages who participated in Olympiad Studies in mathematics, physics, or chemistry during the years 1965-1997. The study focused special interest on the influences of home and school in contributing to the development of academic talent. The results of the Finnish study are compared to an earlier U.S. study using the same instruments. The Finnish Olympians were mailed a 14-page questionnaire and the self-confidence attitude attribute scales; their parents received a shorter version of the same questionnaire and the inventory of parental influence. Data included 150 males and 7 females. More than half of the Olympians were first-born children; parents had either a very high educational level or a very low educational level; and parents had good incomes. Olympians and their parents were asked to rate the importance of family/school influences in development of academic talent, and parents rated these influences as more important than did the Olympians. Finnish Olympians emphasized their own interests and efforts as key factors to their talent development, as well as good teachers. They noted few hindrances to their talent development. More than half expressed the view that they would not have accomplished as much without the Olympiad program. Data are going to be compared with similar data from the United States, Germany, and Taiwan. (Contains 21 figures, 7 tables, and 11 references.) (BT)
- Published
- 2000
11. Holistic Empathy Education among Preschool and School Children.
- Author
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Kalliopuska, Mirja
- Abstract
Definitions of empathy according to psychoanalysis, cognitive psychology, and humanistic psychology are discussed. A model of empathy that involves physiological, kinesthetic, affective, motivational, and cognitive components is presented. These components should be considered in the teaching of empathy. Such teaching should help individuals develop concepts of the world, the human being, and nature, and establish a positive self-image. Several studies relating to empathy are described. In a study of elementary and secondary school students in Helsinki, Finland, students who participated in an in-school empathy instruction campaign showed increased emotional receptiveness and decreased denial of emotion after the campaign. Other studies discussed examined: (1) the relation between empathy and self-esteem and substance use among elementary and secondary school students; (2) the social behavior of day care children; (3) the effects of an empathy instruction campaign on the development of empathy in preschoolers; and (4) the effect of music education on the empathy of 6-year-old children. Means of teaching empathy throughout the human lifespan, and actions that promote empathy and prosocial behavior, are listed. A 17-item reference list is provided. (BC)
- Published
- 1992
12. Designing and Implementing Virtual Exchange -- A Collection of Case Studies
- Author
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Research-publishing.net (France), Helm, Francesca, Beaven, Ana, Helm, Francesca, Beaven, Ana, and Research-publishing.net (France)
- Abstract
Virtual exchange is gaining popularity in formal and non-formal education, partly as a means to internationalise the curriculum, and also to offer more sustainable and inclusive international and intercultural experiences to young people around the world. This volume brings together 19 case studies (17 in higher education and two in youth work) of virtual exchange projects in Europe and the South Mediterranean region. They span across a range of disciplines, from STEM to business, tourism, and languages, and are presented as real-life pedagogical practices that can be of interest to educators looking for ideas and inspiration. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book. Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]
- Published
- 2020
13. A Percentile Regression Model for the Number of Errors in Group Conversation Tests.
- Author
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Liski, Erkki P. and Puntanen, Simo
- Abstract
A statistical model is presented for analyzing the results of group conversation tests in English, developed in a Finnish university study from 1977 to 1981. The model is illustrated with the findings from the study. In this study, estimates of percentile curves for the number of errors are of greater interest than the mean regression line. It was found that for each examinee both the distributions of total error frequency and the relative number of errors depended on the frequency of the examinee's utterances. Although talkative examinees made more errors than those who rarely spoke, proneness to errors decreased as the frequency of utterances increased, and talkative examinees performed better in this test. Male students were found to make more errors than females, but with almost no difference in the relative number of errors of the two sexes. A number of statistical tables are included in the text. (MSE)
- Published
- 1985
14. Professional Growth Determinants--Comparing Bayesian and Linear Approaches to Classification.
- Author
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Nokelainen, Petri, Ruohotie, Pekka, and Tirri, Henry
- Abstract
Bayesian and classical approaches to classification of vocational data were compared using an educational data set from a longitudinal study of professional growth and development in organizations (P. Ruohotie et al., 1994). Data were from 2,430 workers in companies in Finland who completed a questionnaire with behavior and background statements. The main purpose of this study was to look for new possibilities in analyzing multiform vocational data starting from the level at which traditional linear methods become too complex to apply. After describing the data and the theory of professional growth, the paper discusses linear discrimination and its use in the social sciences. Bayesian modeling with the BAYDA software package is described. It is concluded that linear and nonlinear methods support each other depending on the subject of the study. The Bayesian approach, in the form of the BAYDA program, is still under rapid development, but it appears to provide a valuable tool for analysis. (Contains 10 figures, 21 tables, and 12 references.) (SLD)
- Published
- 1999
15. Are Large Cities Educational Assets or Liabilities? PISA in Focus. No. 17
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Abstract
Countless policy makers and researchers have flocked to observe the education systems of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore, which are among the top five performers in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2009 reading assessment. Many visitors have been particularly impressed by the fact that these education systems succeed in embracing the social heterogeneity in their student populations that is intrinsic to large urban environments--something that many other education systems struggle to achieve. But large cities do not just pose social challenges to educators; they also offer important advantages for schools, such as a richer cultural environment, a more attractive workplace for teachers, more school choice, and better job prospects that can help to motivate students. New analyses from PISA highlight these advantages, showing that, in several countries, students from urban areas (defined here as cities with over a million inhabitants) do as well as students in PISA's top performing city-states, even if the different push and pull factors of urban environments play out very differently across countries. This paper reports that: (1) Large cities are generally educational assets: in most countries, performance improves dramatically when only the scores of students in urban areas are considered, although this is not the case in some countries, such as Belgium, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States; and (2) When comparing the performance of students in large cities, students in Portugal and Israel perform as well as those in Singapore, and students in Poland perform as well as those in Hong Kong.
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- 2012
- Full Text
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16. How Has the Global Economic Crisis Affected People with Different Levels of Education? Education Indicators in Focus. No. 1
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Abstract
This paper reports that between 2008 and 2009, unemployment rates across OECD countries increased among people at all educational levels, but rose to especially troubling heights among people without an upper secondary education. In 2009, the average employment rate across OECD countries was much higher for individuals with a tertiary (i.e. higher) education--indicating a better match between the skills these people have and the skills the labour market required. Between 2008 and 2009, the earnings advantage for people with a tertiary education remained strong in OECD countries. In some countries, earnings inequality between people with a tertiary education and those without an upper secondary education widened even further.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
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17. Families Speak: Early Childhood Care and Education in 11 Countries. The IEA Preprimary Project, Phase 1.
- Author
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High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, Ypsilanti, MI., Olmsted, Patricia P., and Weikart, David P.
- Abstract
This report presents Phase 1 of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) 3-phase Preprimary Project being conducted in 11 to 15 countries. The project spans the years 1987 through 1997. The Preprimary Project has been designed to be conducted in three interrelated phases: Phase 1, a household survey in each participating nation to determine the types of early care and education services used by families, some characteristics of these families, and daily-life patterns of 4-year-olds; Phase 2, an in-depth study of sample settings identified in Phase 1 to determine quality of care and education in various settings, to examine interactive and structural features of these settings, and to explore program and family factors on developmental status in 4-year-olds; Phase 3, follow-up studies of development and progress in Phase 1 children at age 7. Initially, Phase 1 documented what 11 nations' official government policies have been historically toward early childhood services. They are: Belgium, The People's Republic of China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, and the United States. Notably, over 60% of all children surveyed spend at least some time in extraparental care or education settings. Ten major findings resulted from the Phase 1 inquiries: (1) the trend from parent care to out-of-home care or education for preschoolers is linked to the movement of women into the paid workforce; (2) the trend toward extraparental care or education is not likely to be reversed; (3) most of the children receiving extraparental care or education do so in only one such setting; (4) these children spend from 17 to 55 hours per week in extraparental settings; (5) parents electing to keep their children at home did so for parent-related reasons; (6) most out-of-home care or education services are sponsored by government or religious groups; (7) few such settings or services offered comprehensive service; (8) without exception and irrespective of stage of economic development, in each country it was the mothers who took primary responsibility for preschooler's care and supervision; (9) nonfamilial caregivers spend a widely varying amount of time daily with these children and, in some of the countries, preschoolers are left alone for extended periods; (10) the majority of children spend most of the time at home or in an organized care center. Commentary papers contain references. (ET)
- Published
- 1994
18. Towards a Pedagogy of 'Translation in Situation.'
- Author
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Vienne, Jean
- Abstract
Outlines the method of translation of pragmatic texts from Finnish into French developed at the Department of Translation Studies of the University of Turku in Finland since the early 1980s. Focuses on the concept of the translation of texts in their real communicative situation. (HB)
- Published
- 1994
19. On the Dynamics of Undergraduate Performance and Dropout. Research Bulletin 58.
- Author
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Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Inst. of Education. and Malm, Kaj
- Abstract
The development and testing of a process model of undergraduate student performance and the influence of performance on dropout rates are discussed. An important feature of the model is a feedback loop that represents knowledge of results. A mathematical elaboration of traditional ideas regarding the effect of feedback on performance is included. A differential equation is obtained when the rate of change in the performance of a student at some point in time is proportional to the performance at that time minus some constant (which is a measure of the performance norm adopted by the student). The solution of the equation is the performance function, and its outstanding feature is its monotonicity. Testing of the model was undertaken with about 2,000 undergraduates enrolled in a 1-year mathematics course at the University of Helsinki, Finland, during 1975-1980. Each year, students were divided into those who failed and those who passed, and data were collected on performance and numbers of participants on seven examinations. The number who passed divided by the number in the last examination was remarkably stable through the 5 years. About 15 percent of the students participating in the last examination failed, and almost 90 percent of those who failed dropped out before the last examination. The total dropout rates were therefore more or less complementary to pass rates. Relative performance and mean standard deviations of the scores were also assessed. It is concluded that the theory explained 88 percent of the dropout variance and 81 percent of the variance of the pass rate. (SW)
- Published
- 1982
20. Youth Policies and Programs in Selected Countries.
- Author
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William T. Grant Foundation, Washington, DC. Commission on Work, Family, and Citizenship. and George, Rosemary
- Abstract
Youth unemployment is hardly new, but in the 1980s it poses unprecedented problems because economic growth no longer seems to provide the necessary jobs. Youth labor markets are being stripped of entry-level jobs by new technologies, changes in the global division of labor, and the upgrading of occupational structures. This paper describes government policies and practices on youth in selected countries that have a bearing on the transition from youth to adulthood. Data were gathered in extensive interviews with embassy officials and through analysis of documents provided by them, national education authorities, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The countries surveyed were: Australia; Britain; Canada; Finland; France; Federal Republic of Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Japan; Norway; and Sweden. Findings are presented in the following areas: (1) Demography of Youth; (2) National Policies; (3) Administrative Structures; (4) Education and Training; (5) Socioeconomic and Gender Inequalities; (6) Guidance, Counseling, and Placement; (7) Financial Support; (8) National Service; and (9) Youth Organizations. Data are presented on five tables and three appendices. (BJV)
- Published
- 1987
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