Antero Malin

Multilevel modelling in repeated measures of the quality of Finnish school life

The main interest of the paper is methodological: to exploit multilevel modelling in analysing quality of school life data gathered in 1991 and 1995 in Finnish comprehensive schools, with the intention of investigating differences and related changes in the quality of school life over time. The specific methodological aim is to explore the advantages gained and problems encountered while applying multilevel models and the statistical program MLwiN in analysing large scale educational data with repeated measures. The quality of school life was assessed by a representative sample of all the Grade 8 pupils throughout the country with a 4 year interval in the same schools. The measurement of the quality of school life focused on general school satisfaction and on teacher-student relations. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by means of factor analysis. The findings of the multilevel statistical analysis are discussed both from an educational and a methodological point of view.

Literacy, Age and Recentness of Education Among Nordic Adults

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between reading literacy and age in an adult population aged 25 to 65 in Nordic countries using PIAAC 2012 data. More specifically, the study examined to what extent variations in the literacy proficiency of adults are explained by age and the recentness of qualifications when variables related to education, occupation, and skill use are controlled. The statistical method was regression analysis. The recentness of education explained only a part of the performance gap between the oldest adults and others. The significance of the length and scope of initial education in developing literacy proficiency overall, is difficult to compensate. There were insignificant differences between the Nordic countries.

Adult Skills in the Nordic Region

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden participated in the first round of the International Survey of Adults’ Skills. The survey is a product of the Programme for the International Assessmen ...