Regional inequality in reading performance: an exploration in Belgium |
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| Authors: | Bo Ning Jan Van Damme Wim Van Den Noortgate Sarah Gielen Kim Bellens Vincent Dupriez |
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| Institution: | 1. Research Institute for International and Comparative Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China;2. Centre for Educational Effectiveness and Evaluation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;3. Methodology of Educational Sciences Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;4. Interdisciplinary Research Group in Socialisation, Education and Training, Université Catholique de Louvain, Leuven, Belgium |
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| Abstract: | In the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment, the Flemish community of Belgium outscored its French community in reading, with low achievers accounting for a large proportion of the score gaps. In this study, between-community comparisons based on the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method showed that the Flemish community benefits largely from its policies and practices of giving schools relative autonomy in resource allocation, promoting good student conduct, and decreasing grade retention. Between-community comparisons using the Juhn-Murphy-Pierce decomposition method showed that compared to their Flemish peers in the same percentile, low achievers in the French community are hindered more by their relatively low grade level; disadvantageous school economic, social, and cultural composition; and negative school supportive climate while medium and high achievers benefit more from their advantageous school economic, social, and cultural composition; positive supportive climate; and high proportion of qualified teachers in schools. |
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| Keywords: | Regional inequality reading achievement Belgium educational effectiveness PISA |
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