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What enhances mathematical ability? A cross-country analysis based on test scores of 15-year-olds

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  • Mark Bailey
  • Vani Borooah

Abstract

This article examines the mathematical abilities of 15-year-olds in a range of countries which participated in the 2003 cycle of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED)'s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Utilizing information on the scores obtained by individual students in the mathematical part of the PISA assessment, we use a range of indicators from the literature on inequality and poverty to evaluate the 'mathematical performance' of participating countries. Since data from PISA contained a wealth of information on the circumstances of the students in terms of their home and school environment, we identify and examine the relative influence of factors which serve to enhance the mathematical performance of students in the PISA assessment.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Bailey & Vani Borooah, 2010. "What enhances mathematical ability? A cross-country analysis based on test scores of 15-year-olds," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(29), pages 3723-3733.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:42:y:2010:i:29:p:3723-3733
    DOI: 10.1080/00036840802314598
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    Cited by:

    1. Giannelli, Gianna Claudia & Rapallini, Chiara, 2019. "Parental occupation and children’s school outcomes in math," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(4), pages 293-303.
    2. Haeck, Catherine & Lefebvre, Pierre & Merrigan, Philip, 2014. "The distributional impacts of a universal school reform on mathematical achievements: A natural experiment from Canada," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 137-160.
    3. Giuseppe Coco & Raffaele Lagravinese & Giuliano Resce, 2020. "Beyond the weights: a multicriteria approach to evaluate inequality in education," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 18(4), pages 469-489, December.
    4. Ana Mickovska Raleva & Ana Tomovska Misoska & Olimpija Hristovska Zaeva & Suzana Cerepnalkovska & Vesna Kostik Ivanovik, 2017. "From numbers to practice – identification and analysis of the indicators related to the quality of the didactic process in the primary education in Macedonia," Finance Think Policy Studies 2017-09/9, Finance Think - Economic Research and Policy Institute.
    5. French, Joseph J. & French, Atchaporn & Li, Wei-Xuan, 2015. "The relationship among cultural dimensions, education expenditure, and PISA performance," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 25-34.
    6. Ana Mickovska-Raleva & Ana Tomovska-Misoska & Olimpija Hristovska-Zaeva & Suzana Cerepnalkovska & Vesna Kostik Ivanovik, 2017. "From numbers to practice - identification and analysis of the indicators related to the quality of the didactic process in the primary education in Macedonia," Finance Think Policy Studies 2017-09, Finance Think - Economic Research and Policy Institute.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities

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