A cross-national study of students’ attitudes toward school

Abstract

Using an international educational database, PISA 2009, this study investigates and analyzes 15-year-old students’ attitudes toward school in 11 Asia-Pacific units (country, city, or area). For each unit, the study demonstrates four types of students’ attitudes toward school, compares male and female students, and examines the relationships of the students’ attitudes with their socioeconomic status, school size, school climate, class disciplinary problems, and teachers’ treatment of students. Finally, this study predicts students’ reading interests and achievements based on their attitudes toward school. The results reveal that students’ attitudes toward school are strongly related with class disciplinary problems, teachers’ treatment of students, and academic interests. Two types of positive attitudes were similar among the participating countries, and two types of negative attitudes were related with educational variables more strongly. The findings provide a perspective on what students’ attitudes are toward school and contribute meaningfully to the literature for intensive research of school psychology, counseling, family, administration, school climate, and cross-national educational comparisons.

Keywords:

• 15-year old
• Asia-Pacific region
• attitudes toward school
• PISA