engleski

School entrance age and student academic outcomes: The role of teacher and learning context characteristics

The question whether it is better for children to enter school at a younger or older age has been a subject of a long-lasting debate. A number of studies examining the effects of age at school entry on student outcomes have found significant age related differences in school achievement, with older students usually outperforming younger members of their class (e.g. Bedard & Dhuey, 2006 ; Borg & Falzon, 1995 ; Stipek & Byler, 2001). Younger students in a year group are also more frequently assessed to have special educational needs (Wallingford & Thompson Prout, 2000), specific learning disabilities (Martin et al., 2004) and behavioral and emotional problems (Polizzi et al., 2007). Depending on the compulsory school entrance age, cut-off date for school admission and school intake policies in the educational context in which studies are conducted, possible explanations of the differences in academic and socio-emotional outcomes between younger and older school entrants include maturational differences, differences in the length of schooling and season of birth effects. It has also been suggested that teachers may have an important role in enhancing or minimizing the effects of age at school entry on student achievement, through their expectations from younger students when compared to their older classmates (e.g. Sharp et al., 1994). The differences in achievement between younger and older school entrants are usually greater in lower grades of primary school and become smaller or disappear in higher grades of primary school (e.g. Oshima & Domaleski, 2006). This coincides with the period when students usually change teachers, which possibly provides a new opportunity for younger students to prove themselves and perform equally well as their older classmates (Hutchinson & Sharp, 1999). The purpose of this study was twofold. Firstly, we examined the differences between younger and older school entrants in several indicators of school adjustment – frequency of absence, placement in advanced learning groups and parental involvement in school. Secondly, we explored whether the effects of school entrance age on school achievement depend on some teacher’s and learning context characteristics, namely teacher qualifications, work experience and continuity of teaching the same students. Participants in the study were 44, 479 fourth grade students from all Croatian primary schools. Students were divided into groups of younger and older school entrants on the basis of the difference between the year of birth and the year of school entry. Following data on student, teacher and learning context characteristics were collected from the national database of all students and schools: (1) number of times students were absent from school during the current school year ; (2) whether students are placed in advanced learning groups in different subjects ; (3) number of times students’ parents attended individual consultations with the teacher during the current school year ; (4) whether the student’s teacher is promoted to mentor status ; (5) number of teacher’s years of service ; and (6) whether students were continuously taught by the same teacher since they started schooling. Indicators of school achievement were students’ results on objective tests in Croatian language, mathematics and nature completed during a national examination in Croatian primary schools and school grades from respective subjects appointed by teachers. Firstly, we examined the differences between younger and older school entrants in frequency of absence, placement in advanced learning groups in different subjects and number of times students’ parents attended individual consultations with the teacher. The results indicate that older school entrants are more frequently absent from school and placed in advanced learning groups, and their parents are more involved in their schooling. Secondly, we conducted multivariate analyses in order to examine whether the effects of school entrance age on school achievement in different subjects depend on teacher’s qualifications, work experience and continuity of teaching the same students. The results indicate that certain teacher’s characteristics moderate the effects of school entrance age on school achievement. Results are discussed in relation to existing theoretical explanations of effects of school entrance age on achievement, with special emphasis on the potential role of teachers in minimizing the differences in achievement between younger and older school entrants.

school entrance age; academic achievement; teacher characteristics

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