How Can Country Differences in the Practice of Grade Retention in Primary and Lower Secondary Education Be Explained? A Closer Look at Country Educational Policy Factors in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Member Countries

• In Event: School Improvement in Different Contexts

Abstract

Taking an international comparative perspective on grade retention, this study investigates whether differences in students’ probability of repeating a grade in primary and lower secondary education can be explained by country educational policy factors, across OECD member countries. Data from the PISA 2009 study, different issues of the OECD Education at a Glance brochure, and the TALIS 2007 study were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression models. The results indicate that a remarkable amount of variance in student grade retention lies at the country level. Country educational policy factors, more precisely financial incentives for teachers, public school attendance, and scholarships, however, only partially explain this variation, indicating that societal beliefs in the effectiveness of grade retention also play a notable role.

Authors

• Brigitte Schreier, Tuebingen University

• Mieke Goos, Maastricht University

• Heidi Knipprath, Catholic University of Leuven

• Bieke De Fraine, K.U. Leuven

• Ulrich Trautwein, Universitat Tubingen