Math items about real-world content lower test-scores of students from families 
with low socioeconomic status

Muskens, Marjolein; Frankenhuis, Willem E.; Borghans, Lex

doi:10.1038/s41539-024-00228-8

Item

ITEM ACTIONSEXPORT

Add to Basket

Local TagsRelease HistoryDetailsSummary

Released

Journal Article

Math items about real-world content lower test-scores of students from families with low socioeconomic status

MPS-Authors

/persons/resource/persons251886

Frankenhuis, Willem E.
Criminology, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Max Planck Society;

External Resource

https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41539-024-00228-8
(Any fulltext)

Fulltext (restricted access)

There are currently no full texts shared for your IP range.

Fulltext (public)

41539_2024_Article_228.pdf
(Any fulltext), 673KB

Supplementary Material (public)

There is no public supplementary material available

Citation

Muskens, M., Frankenhuis, W. E., & Borghans, L. (2024). Math items about real-world content lower test-scores of students from families with low socioeconomic status. npj Science of Learning, (9): 19. doi:10.1038/s41539-024-00228-8.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000F-03F6-8

Abstract

In many countries, standardized math tests are important for achieving academic success. Here, we examine whether content of items, the story that explains a mathematical question, biases performance of low-SES students. In a large-scale cohort study of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS)—including data from 58 countries from students in grades 4 and 8 (N = 5501,165)—we examine whether item content that is more likely related to challenges for low-SES students (money, food, social relationships) improves their performance, compared with their average math performance. Results show that low-SES students scored lower on items with this specific content than expected based on an individual’s average performance. The effect sizes are substantial: on average, the chance to answer correctly is 18% lower. From a hidden talents approach, these results are unexpected. However, they align with other theoretical frameworks such as scarcity mindset, providing new insights for fair testing.