IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i20p11297-d655255.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contextual, Personal and Family Factors in Explaining Academic Achievement: A Multilevel Study

Author

Listed:
  • Carla Ortiz-de-Villate

    (Department of Educational Research Methods and Diagnostics, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain)

  • Javier Rodríguez-Santero

    (Department of Educational Research Methods and Diagnostics, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain)

  • Juan-Jesús Torres-Gordillo

    (Department of Educational Research Methods and Diagnostics, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain)

Abstract

Academic success and excellence in marks are not only due to the students’ intrinsic abilities or skills. A multitude of contextual variables is involved in the teaching and learning process. This study identifies and analyses the contextual variables that most significantly affect students’ academic performance. We used census data from the ESCALA tests and context questionnaires for the 2016/17 school year, both carried out by the Andalusian Agency for Educational Assessment. Hierarchical Linear Models were used in the data analysis, as they facilitate the control and description of contextual factors. In addition, differences in performance were studied according to the contextual variables that the family dimension encompasses. At all times, a contextualised cross-sectional perspective was considered, taking as a criterion the covariates with significance values lower than 0.01 in the multilevel models and contrast tests. Finally, a list of contextual variables contributing to the explanation of performance is presented. The socio-economic and cultural conditions of families, their expectations towards their children’s education, and their level of involvement in schools have a significant influence on the academic success of primary school students. Academic success is higher among students with families who play an active role and have positive expectations regarding learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Carla Ortiz-de-Villate & Javier Rodríguez-Santero & Juan-Jesús Torres-Gordillo, 2021. "Contextual, Personal and Family Factors in Explaining Academic Achievement: A Multilevel Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:20:p:11297-:d:655255
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/20/11297/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/20/11297/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barnard, Wendy Miedel, 2004. "Parent involvement in elementary school and educational attainment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 39-62, January.
    2. Jesús García-Jiménez & Javier Rodríguez-Santero & Juan-Jesús Torres-Gordillo, 2020. "Influence of Contextual Variables on Educational Performance: A Study Using Hierarchical Segmentation Trees," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-10, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:mpr:mprres:7072 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Freddie Semukono & Alice Arinaitwe, 2013. "Learning Environment, Students’ Attitude and Performance in Quantitative Course Units: A Focus on Business Students," Journal of Education and Vocational Research, AMH International, vol. 4(8), pages 238-245.
    3. Maryam A. Al-Hail & Luluwah Al-Fagih & Muammer Koç, 2021. "Partnering for Sustainability: Parent-Teacher-School (PTS) Interactions in the Qatar Education System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-25, June.
    4. Namra Munir & Rashid Minas Wattoo & Muhammad Asif Shahzad, 2022. "Effect of Parent Participation on Youngsters’ Schooling at Primary Level," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 8(4), pages 370-378, December.
    5. Joachim Merz & Normen Peters, 2019. "Parental Child Care Time, Income and Subjective Well-Being: A Multidimensional Polarization Approach for Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1021, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    6. Heather Koball & Robin Dion & Andrew Gothro & Maura Bardos & Amy Dworsky & Jiffy Lansing & Matthew Stagner & Danijela Korom-Djakovic & Carla Herrera & Alice Elizabeth Manning, "undated". "Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support At-Risk Youth," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 8353b63284d94941bcb778e1c, Mathematica Policy Research.
    7. Inés Lucas-Oliva & Jesús García-Jiménez & Juan-Jesús Torres-Gordillo & Javier Rodríguez-Santero, 2022. "Equity and Parity in Primary Education: A Study on Performance in Language and Mathematics Using Hierarchical Linear Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Hupkau, Claudia & Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer & Isphording, Ingo E. & Machin, Stephen, 2023. "Labour Market Shocks and Parental Investments during the Covid-19 Pandemic," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    9. Mersky, Joshua P. & Topitzes, James D. & Reynolds, Arthur J., 2011. "Maltreatment prevention through early childhood intervention: A confirmatory evaluation of the Chicago Child-Parent Center preschool program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(8), pages 1454-1463, August.
    10. Robert Metcalfe & Simon Burgess and Steven Proud, 2011. "Student effort and educational attainment: Using the England football team to identify the education production function," Economics Series Working Papers 586, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    11. Reynolds, Arthur J. & Ou, Suh-Ruu, 2004. "Alterable predictors of child well-being in the Chicago longitudinal study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 1-14, January.
    12. Sakaue, Katsuki & Wokadala, James & Ogawa, Keiichi, 2023. "Effect of parental engagement on children’s home-based continued learning during COVID-19–induced school closures: Evidence from Uganda," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    13. Matthew A. Kraft & Manuel Monti-Nussbaum, 2017. "Can Schools Enable Parents to Prevent Summer Learning Loss? A Text-Messaging Field Experiment to Promote Literacy Skills," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 674(1), pages 85-112, November.
    14. Chowa, Gina A.N. & Masa, Rainier D. & Tucker, Jenna, 2013. "The effects of parental involvement on academic performance of Ghanaian youth: Testing measurement and relationships using structural equation modeling," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2020-2030.
    15. Madhubala Harji & Kavitha Balakrishnan & Krishnanveni Letchumanan, 2017. "The PaCT: Parents, Children and Teacher Partnership in Developing ESL Literacy," English Language Teaching, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(9), pages 150-150, September.
    16. Cheung, Connie & Lwin, Kristen & Jenkins, Jennifer M., 2012. "Helping youth in care succeed: Influence of caregiver involvement on academic achievement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1092-1100.
    17. Poon, Kean, 2020. "The impact of socioeconomic status on parental factors in promoting academic achievement in Chinese children," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    18. Tassew Woldehanna, 2012. "Children’s Educational Completion Rates and Dropouts in the Context of Ethiopia’s National Poverty Reduction Strategy," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 20(1), September.
    19. Williams Shanks, Trina R. & Kim, Youngmi & Loke, Vernon & Destin, Mesmin, 2010. "Assets and child well-being in developed countries," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(11), pages 1488-1496, November.
    20. Merz, Joachim & Peters, Normen, 2019. "Parental Child Care Time, Income and Subjective Well-Being: A Multidimensional Polarization Approach for Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 12145, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. Joca Zurc & Jurij Planinšec, 2022. "Associations between Physical Activity and Academic Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study among Slovenian Primary School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-18, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:20:p:11297-:d:655255. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.