The Influence of School Entry Skills in Literacy and Numeracy on the Science Achievement of Fourth Grade Students and Schools in Asian Regions
Yu Chen 1, Chorng-Jee Guo 2, Kam Ming Lim 3, Kong-Ju Mun 4, Hisashi Otsuji 5, Young-Shin Park 6, David Sorrell 7, Wing Mui Winnie So 1 *
More Detail
1 The Education University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG2 National Changhua University of Education, TAIWAN3 Nanyang Technological University, SINGAPORE4 Seoul National University, SOUTH KOREA5 Toyo University, JAPAN6 College of Education, Chosun University, SOUTH KOREA7 Independent Education Consultant, HONG KONG* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examined the associations between school entry skills and science achievement at both the student and school levels among fourth-grade students in South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong. Data of the five Asian regions in the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were analysed. Variables included Interest, Self-concept, School entry skills - reported by parents, Cognitive activities, Parent attitudes toward mathematics and science, Home educational resources, and Gender, all at the student level, and Emphasis on academic success, Discipline problems, and School entry skills – reported by principals at the school level. Results of the multilevel path analysis indicated that School entry skills positively and directly influenced science achievement, and simultaneously mediated the influence from cognitive activities to science achievement at the student level. These findings were consistent among the five Asian regions. At the school level, it was found that compared to School entry skills, School emphasis on academic success was the stronger predictor of science achievement among students for most Asian regions. Implications for improving primary school students’ science learning are discussed.

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2020, Volume 16, Issue 9, Article No: em1877

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/8385

Publication date: 06 Jul 2020

Article Views: 3035

Article Downloads: 2120

Open Access References How to cite this article