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The academic section of the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT-Ac) and the Academic Vocabulary Test (AVT) both assess meaning-recognition knowledge of written receptive academic vocabulary, deemed central for engagement in academic activities. Depending on the purpose and context of the testing, either of the tests can be appropriate, but for research and pedagogical purposes, it is important to be able to compare scores achieved on the two tests between administrations and within similar contexts. Based on a sample of 385 upper secondary school students in university-preparatory programs (independent CEFR B2-level users of English), this study presents a comparison model by linking the VLT-Ac and the AVT using concurrent calibration procedures in Item Response Theory. The key outcome of the study is a score comparison table providing a means for approximate score comparisons. Additionally, the study showcases a viable and valid method of comparing vocabulary scores from an older test with those from a newer one.

Research related to the "teacher characteristics" dimension of teacher quality has proven inconclusive and weakly related to student success, and addressing the teaching contexts may be crucial for furthering this line of inquiry. International large-scale assessments are well positioned to undertake such questions due to their systematic sampling of students, schools, and education systems. However, researchers are frequently prohibited from answering such questions due to measurement invariance related issues. This study uses the traditional multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) and an alignment optimization method to examine measurement invariance in several constructs from the teacher questionnaires in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 across 46 education systems. Constructs included mathematics teacher's "Job satisfaction," "School emphasis on academic success," "School condition and resources," "Safe and orderly school," and teacher's "Self-efficacy." The MGCFA results show that just three constructs achieve invariance at the metric level. However, an alignment optimization method is applied, and results show that all five constructs fall within the threshold of acceptable measurement non-invariance. This study therefore presents an argument that they can be validly compared across education systems, and a subsequent comparison of latent factor means compares differences across the groups. Future research may utilize the estimated factor means from the aligned models in order to further investigate the role of teacher characteristics and contexts in student outcomes.

Educational success is central to the life chances of young people, but increasing differences in student achievement between schools are commonly attributed to increasing school segregation. The aim of the study was to examine the trends in socioeconomic, ethnic, and academic segregation in compulsory and upper secondary education in the Gothenburg school market between 1998 and 2020. Utilizing register data from the Gothenburg Longitudinal Database (n = 1 662 166), the study showed that school segregation intensified over time and across education levels, particularly in the Gothenburg municipality and upper secondary education. The geography of upper secondary education becomes more clustered after stricter upper secondary qualifications are implemented. These findings are discussed in relation to the Swedish school reforms that resulted in the materialization and expansion of the school market with a significant increase in school provisions, leading to the (re-)production of unjust geographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in 'expectancy-value' theory, this paper reports on the psychometric properties of an instrument intended to measure students' motivation in mathematics. The participants were 2045 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from Estonia, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Serbia and Sweden. The Expectancy-Value Scale (EVS) was found to be suitable for early grades of primary education in measuring competence self-perceptions and subjective task values relative to the mathematics field. The results indicate a good model fit aligned with the expectancy-value theory. The EVS dimensions showed good reliability, and scalar invariance was established. However, findings also indicated high correlations between some of the EVS dimensions, which is well documented for students at this age. The findings are discussed relative to the 'expectancy-value' theory framework and students' age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the changes in educational inequality at the school- and individual-levels in 1991 and 2001. Comparisons are made between the IEA Reading Literacy Study 1991 and the so called 10-Year Trend Study in PIRLS 2001. The between-school differences in reading achievement variance and the size of the relationship between SES and reading achievement at school-level are the two main focuses. Applying a two-level structural equation modeling technique, it was found that the between-school differences in reading achievement were greater in RLS 2001 than in RLS 1991, and the school SES effect has been strengthened over time. These changes indicate that educational inequality in Sweden has increased over time. Some possible explanations to these changes are discussed with reference to school reforms and demographic changes. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.)