D Subset of PISA Survey Items
This appendix contains a subset of items from the PISA 2009 student questionnaire.
D.1 Approaches to learning
The items in question 27 constitute the approaches to learning scale. Students rated how often they used each of 13 study strategies. The response scale included four frequency ratings: almost never, sometimes, often, and almost always.
The 13 items were grouped into three subscales based on the type of learning strategy involved, whether memorization (labeled memor below), elaboration (elab), or control (cstrat). Note that the question numbers and subscale labels were not presented to students, and the rating scale is not shown.
Question 27
When you are studying, how often do you do the following? (Please tick only one box in each row)
Variable | Subscale | Statement |
---|---|---|
ST27Q01 | memor | When I study, I try to memorize everything that is covered in the text. |
ST27Q02 | cstrat | When I study, I start by figuring out what exactly I need to learn. |
ST27Q03 | memor | When I study, I try to memorize as many details as possible. |
ST27Q04 | elab | When I study, I try to relate new information to prior knowledge acquired in other subjects. |
ST27Q05 | memor | When I study, I read the text so many times that I can recite it. |
ST27Q06 | cstrat | When I study, I check if I understand what I have read. |
ST27Q07 | memor | When I study, I read the text over and over again. |
ST27Q08 | elab | When I study, I figure out how the information might be useful outside school. |
ST27Q09 | cstrat | When I study, I try to figure out which concepts I still haven’t really understood. |
ST27Q10 | elab | When I study, I try to understand the material better by relating it to my own experiences. |
ST27Q11 | cstrat | When I study, I make sure that I remember the most important points in the text. |
ST27Q12 | elab | When I study, I figure out how the text information fits in with what happens in real life. |
ST27Q13 | cstrat | When I study and I don’t understand something, I look for additional information to clarify this. |
D.2 Attitude toward school
The attitude toward school scale contained the four questions shown below. Students responded using an agreement scale with categories for strongly disagree, disagree, agree, and strongly agree.
Question 37
Thinking about what you have learned in school: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Variable | Statement |
---|---|
ST33Q01 | School has done little to prepare me for adult life when I leave school. |
ST33Q02 | School has been a waste of time |
ST33Q03 | School helped give me confidence to make decisions. |
ST33Q04 | School has taught me things which could be useful in a job |