Beyond PISA: The ecology of high achieving science students in Estonia

Abstract

As the highest-ranking European nation in the OECD’s PISA, this thesis explores factors contributing to the high performance of Estonian students in science. With academic research on optimal performance pointing the spotlight at the Asian greats and Finland, Estonia has received little research attention. The current study explores the relative contributions of individual factors, the school microsystem, the family microsystem and the family-school interaction mesosystem in supporting student achievement in science. A critical realist research philosophy and ecological systems theory as a conceptual framework underpin the mixed methods research design. Firstly, exploratory factor analysis of the quantitative PISA 2018 dataset for Estonia is conducted. This is followed by thematic analysis of transcripts from a series of nine narrative interviews conducted with high achieving science students living in Tallinn, Estonia. Individual factors found to be prevalent in high performing Estonian science students are intrinsic motivation, resilience and active agency. Family role models, cultural capital and socioeconomic status are predictors of success related to the family microsystem. The school microsystem described by successful Estonian science students is one that embraces co-construction, learner centred and competency-based teaching with a somewhat informal approach. In the family school interaction mesosystem, the renowned Estonian television series Rakett69 is found to have a powerful influence on student aspirations, alongside the family and school support of student participation in both national and international competitions. Recommendations for education stakeholders are made, including an argument for reducing stratification in educational systems and shifting from a performance-oriented focus on examination results to a goal oriented system that values what students are able to do with their knowledge.