The Effects of Student and School Level Characteristics on Academic Achievement of Middle School Students in Turkey

Year 2019, Volume: 10 Issue: 4, 391 - 405, 13.12.2019

Pınar Karaman , Burcu Atar

https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.564819

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The purpose
of the study was to examine the student-level and school-level variability that
affect middle school students’ academic achievement. Student background and
school context on student academic achievement were examined. Participants of
the study consisted of 1053 seventh and eighth grade middle school students
from 10 schools in the cities of Ankara and Sinop, Turkey. The research study
analysed using two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Data were analysed
with three HLM models: (1) random effects one-way ANOVA model, (2) random
coefficients regression model, (3) intercepts and slopes-as outcomes model. The
results of the analyses showed that at the student level, gender, SES, and
number of siblings were found to have statistically significant effects on student
GPA. When considering the practical importance of student level variables, SES,
and number of siblings have small effects, but gender has a moderate effect on
students’ school achievements. On average, female students perform higher than
male students in terms of their GPA scores. At the school level, educational
school resources have a significant effect on predicting academic achievement.
It has been shown that school resources have a moderate effect on students’
academic achievements.

Keywords

Hierarchical linear modeling, academic achievement, student GPA, gender, SES, school resources

Supporting Institution

Sinop University Scientific Research Project (BAP)

Project Number

EĞTF-1901-18-09

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