110

speak the test language at home and there has been abrupt changes in the government policy

for the use of English language as a medium of instruction in school.

Among school-specific factors, variables such as teacher shortage, proportion of certified

teachers and student teacher ratio are all negatively associated with student performance but

no the associations are not statistically significant. However, disciplinary climate in the school

is positive and significantly correlated with student achievement

. In all subjects, the coefficient

is above 50 suggesting large gains from an improvement in student performance if the academic

environment is more disciplined and less disruptive. Parental engagement however significantly

improves student performance. Student achievement is low where school authorities report

only a minority of parents applying pressure on academic standards or the pressure being

“largely absent".

Table 3.2.4: Determinants of Student Achievement in Math, Reading and Science, PISA 2012

VARIABLES

Reading

Math

Science

Household wealth: : 2nd quartile

6.032+

6.818*

2.681

(3.454)

(2.933)

(3.379)

Household wealth: 3rd quartile

15.89**

21.72**

14.67**

(3.397)

(2.893)

(3.259)

Household wealth: top quartile

33.26**

41.07**

31.79**

(4.379)

(3.970)

(4.081)

Girl

36.61**

3.350

7.592**

(2.595)

(2.651)

(2.722)

Age

11.51**

2.549

2.313

(3.804)

(3.363)

(3.660)

Attended pre-school

12.06**

12.23**

9.501**

(3.505)

(2.795)

(3.048)

Learning minutes (in language lessons)

0.143**

0.128**

0.0853**

(0.0255)

(0.0239)

(0.0270)

Proportion of certified teachers

-15.18

-4.578

-25.44

(21.00)

(17.80)

(18.41)

Parental pressure: low

-23.22**

-24.78**

-23.09**

(7.823)

(8.526)

(8.226)

Parental pressure: absent

-22.84*

-18.52+

-25.00**

(9.402)

(9.655)

(8.286)

Small town

9.482

10.57

9.993

(8.472)

(6.438)

(6.633)

Town

13.50

21.15**

18.70*

(8.906)

(6.861)

(7.543)

City

17.77+

17.60*

13.82

(9.951)

(8.554)

(9.130)

Large city

11.23

25.36*

19.68+

(11.80)

(11.63)

(10.35)

Private school

-9.205

25.16

-0.578

(22.31)

(19.96)

(22.23)

Teacher shortage

-1.305

-2.215

-4.295

(5.318)

(4.805)

(4.480)

This is constructed using data on 5 indicators: (a) Students don't listen, (b) Noise and disorder, (c) Wait for

quiet (d) Cannot work well and (e) Long time to start.