A Comparative Analysis of Reading Achievement Across the Turkic World: PIRLS 2021 as a Benchmark for Educational Unity

Abstract

This study examines student – and school-level variables affecting the reading achievement of fourth-grade students in the Turkic Republics (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan) based on Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 data. Following missing data screening, the final sample comprised 19,997 students nested within 796 schools. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) indicated that betweenschool achievement variance was highest in Azerbaijan (41%) and lowest in Uzbekistan (16%), warranting the application of Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM). The analysis results revealed that, at the student level, socioeconomic status served as the strongest predictor of reading achievement in Türkiye, whereas reading confidence emerged as the primary driver of success in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan. Moreover, engaging in early literacy activities positively supported achievement across all countries. At the school level, parental expectations and parental support contributed substantially to academic performance in Türkiye; however, this positive effect remained weak across the other nations. Furthermore, when controlling for all student – and school-level factors, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan lagged significantly behind Türkiye in reading performance. Overall, the findings suggest that enhancing reading achievement requires addressing country-specific weaknesses through targeted educational interventions and policy measures tailored to each nation’s unique internal dynamics and local conditions.

Keywords

• PIRLS 2021
• reading achievement
• Hierarchical Linear Modeling
• educational policies
• Turkic Republics

Türk Dünyasında Okuma Başarısının Ülkeler Arası Analizi: Eğitim Birliği Yolunda PIRLS 2021 Bulguları

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Uluslararası Okuma Becerilerinde Gelişim Araştırması (PIRLS) 2021 verilerine dayanarak Türk Cumhuriyetleri’ndeki (Azerbaycan, Kazakistan, Türkiye ve Özbekistan) dördüncü sınıf öğrencilerinin okuma başarısını etkileyen öğrenci ve okul düzeyindeki değişkenleri incelemektedir. Eksik verilerin ayıklanmasının ardından, nihai örneklem 796 okul bünyesindeki 19.997 öğrenciden oluşmuştur. Sınıf içi korelasyon katsayıları (ICC), okullar arası başarı varyansının en yüksek Azerbaycan’da (%41), en düşük ise Özbekistan’da (%16) olduğunu göstermiş ve Hiyerarşik Lineer Modelleme (HLM) yönteminin uygulanmasını zorunlu kılmıştır. Analiz sonuçları, öğrenci düzeyinde Türkiye’de okuma başarısının en güçlü yordayıcısının sosyoekonomik düzey olduğunu; Kazakistan, Özbekistan ve Azerbaycan’da ise başarının temel belirleyicisinin okuma konusundaki özgüven olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca, erken okuryazarlık etkinliklerine katılım tüm ülkelerde başarıyı olumlu yönde desteklemiştir. Okul düzeyinde, ebeveyn beklentileri ve ebeveyn desteği Türkiye’de akademik performansa önemli ölçüde katkı sağlamış; ancak bu olumlu etki diğer ülkelerde sınırlı kalmıştır. Dahası, öğrenci ve okul düzeyindeki tüm faktörler kontrol edildiğinde, Özbekistan ve Azerbaycan’ın okuma performansı açısından Türkiye’nin önemli ölçüde gerisinde kaldığı görülmüştür. Genel olarak bulgular, okuma başarısını artırmanın; her ülkenin kendine özgü iç dinamiklerine ve yerel koşullarına göre uyarlanmış, hedefe yönelik eğitim müdahaleleri ve politika tedbirleri aracılığıyla ülkeye özgü zayıflıkların ele alınmasını gerektirdiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• PIRLS 2021
• okuma başarısı
• Hiyerarşik Lineer Modelleme
• eğitim politikaları
• Türk Cumhuriyetleri

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