Borgonovi, F;
Ferrara, A;
Piacentini, M;
(2021)
Performance decline in a low-stakes test at age 15 and educational attainment at age 25: Cross-country longitudinal evidence.
Journal of Adolescence
, 92
pp. 114-125.
10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.08.011.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Educational attainment is associated with important life outcomes including labour market performance, health status, well-being, civic and political participation. An important question is whether it is possible to identify early those students who lack the achievement motivation that is needed to complete a higher education degree. METHODS: Longitudinal follow-ups of representative samples of participants in the 2000 and 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) from Australia, Denmark and Switzerland (N = 3110; 1130; and 1962; age = 15 to 27; % females 51%, 51%, 49%; ethnicity/race unknown) were used to identify the association between a measure of effort on a cognitively demanding low-stake task at age 15 - performance decline during the test - and educational attainment at age 25-27. RESULTS: A one SD difference in performance decline was associated with a 5-6 percentage point difference in the probability of obtaining tertiary-level qualifications (r = -0.15 in Australia; -0.11 in Denmark and -0.11 in Switzerland). We find no evidence of differences in this relationship across genders, socio-economic status and baseline levels of ability in the three countries. The association between performance decline and educational attainment is homogeneous across these groups. Self-reported measures of achievement motivation were not predictive of educational attainment in the three countries. CONCLUSIONS: Our work contributes new longitudinal evidence to the body of research in education employing behavioural measures of motivation and engagement. It can be used to understand the potential long-term consequences of disparities in students' preparation to sustain effort over cognitively demanding tasks.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Performance decline in a low-stakes test at age 15 and educational attainment at age 25: Cross-country longitudinal evidence |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.08.011 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.08.011 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Behavioural indicators of effort, Educational attainment, Longitudinal, Motivation in low-stakes tests, PISA, Socio-emotional and motivational skills |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10136598 |
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