Educational Research on Nordic School Practices

Educational Research Goals

• Goal: Identify effective and equitable school practices for all students, regardless of background.
• Research question: Why some countries/schools show better outcomes than others?

Nordic Countries Study

• Focus: Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden)
• Method: Analyzed data from international large-scale assessments (PIRLS, TIMSS, PISA).
• Data: Nationally representative student samples.
• Issue: These countries, with similar history, culture, and economy, show varied student outcomes.
• Studies involved: Seven studies focusing on educational effectiveness and equity.

Key Research Themes

• Measurement of educational effectiveness using international large-scale assessments.
• Importance of teachers in educational success.
• Impact of both cognitive and non-cognitive student outcomes.
• Different perspectives on effective and equitable school practices.

Effective and Equitable School Practices

• Defining "effective and equitable" is a primary research challenge.
• Factors studied: Teacher quality, school characteristics, and educational policies.
• Studies: Examine how to optimize systems for diverse student groups.
• Significance: New knowledge is crucial for evidence-based policies to improve student outcomes and reduce inequality.

Large-Scale Assessments

• Use: National and international large-scale assessments provide research opportunities.
• Purpose: Identify factors contributing to effective and equitable schools.
• Large datasets: Studies require large datasets from numerous schools and countries.
• Examples of assessments: PIRLS, TIMSS, and PISA collect repeated-measurement data from representative samples.
• Advantages: Offer generalizable findings to inform policy and practice.