OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Immigrant status

How did immigrant status and language background affect the performance of Australian students in PISA 2000?

The effect that immigrant status and home language background may have on the performance of Australian students who participated in PISA 2000 was examined.

• Comparing native and non-native* students, for all three domains (reading, mathematical and scientific literacy) there were no significant differences in student performance. This was not the case in most of the 32 countries that participated in PISA 2000 where there were significant differences between the performance of native and non-native students.

• Comparing results of students whose home language is English and those whose home language is not English, there was a difference in reading and scientific literacy performance in favour of the English home language group, but no significant difference in mathematical literacy. An exception was noted in reading literacy for Chinese and Other Asian home language students, who performed as well as English home language students at the higher proficiency levels.

• For Australian students, it was found that the association between gender and student performance in reading was significant, with girls doing better than boys in all categories. This difference also applied to students of different home backgrounds. In Australia there were no significant differences between girls and boys in mathematical literacy and scientific literacy.

• Engagement with reading was found to be the single most important factor associated with performance in reading literacy. Non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds were significantly more engaged with reading than native students.

• Although non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds reported having, on average, fewer books in the home, they spent more time reading. This may be a result of the fact that they borrowed books from libraries more often.

• Non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds also spent more time doing homework, which was another significant factor associated with reading success.

• Non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds had aspirations to complete a higher level of education than native-born students.

• Non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds generally had a positive experience of their teachers; they perceived higher levels of teacher support and better student/teacher relationships. However, they had a less positive view of school disciplinary climate.

• Non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds used learning strategies such as memorisation and elaboration significantly more often than native students.

• Non-native students and students from non-English speaking home backgrounds had a higher level of academic self-confidence.

It appears then that students of immigrant status and/or who have a non-English home language background have such a positive, engaged approach to their learning that they are able to overcome some of the disadvantages that may be associated with settling in to a new country or not speaking English at home.

The full version of this report examining the effects of language background and immigrant status can be downloaded from the reports page.

* Native students - those born in the country of assessment (in this case, Australia ), with at least one of their parents born in that country. Non-native students - those foreign-born and whose parents are also foreign-born.