Immigrant Students' Academic Performance in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Singapore

N

7

Immigrants; Immigration; Academic Achievement; Foreign Countries; Achievement Tests; Secondary School Students; International Assessment; Advantaged; Adolescents; Comparative Education; Reading Skills; Mathematics Skills; Science Process Skills

Australia; New Zealand; Canada; Singapore

Immigrants to the USA and Western Europe show a disadvantage in academic achievement that persists into the second generation. In contrast, an immigrant advantage is often seen in countries with selective immigration policies. This paper examines whether four countries with selective migration policies continue to show an academic advantage in data from PISA 2012; whether the advantage applies equally across reading, mathematics and science; and whether any advantage can be attributed to greater access to three personal (school belonging, attitude towards school learning activities and outcomes), and two teacher-related academic resources (student-teacher relationship, teacher support). Three groups (first-generation immigrant; second-generation immigrant; native-born) of 15-year-old students were compared in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Singapore. In Australia and Singapore, first- and second-generation immigrant students showed an advantage in all three subjects. In New Zealand and Canada, there was no evidence of a consistent immigrant disadvantage. The five academic resources were related to individual differences in PISA scores, but did not account for differences between migrant and native students.

As Provided

2019

ED596765