Investigating Contextual Effects With English Primary School Data

• In Event: Educational Effectiveness in Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study, a “methodological-substantive” synergy, applied the four models demonstrated by Marsh et al. (2009) to longitudinal attainment and attitudinal data for English primary school pupils to address two substantive issues: The first was concerned with the contextual effect of school average attainment that is being used in contextual value-added models assessing school effectiveness. The second involved analysis relating attainment in and attitudes to Maths, and tested whether school average attainment is negatively related to individual self concept (the Big Fish Little Pond Effect). Both effects were found negative and significant. The study has important implications for school policies such as tracking and ability grouping.

Authors

• Ioulia Televantou, University of Oxford

• Herbert W. Marsh, University of Western Sydney

• Benjamin Nagengast, Tuebingen University