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Having in mind that student achievement and interest in subject are some of the most important educational goals, and that quality of teaching is the crucial schooling factor influencing them, we examined the contribution of teacher-level variables from the Dynamic model of educational effectiveness to student achievement and interest in mathematics and biology. The representative sample included 5476 students from 125 elementary schools in Serbia and 5021 parents. Data on student and teacher variables were collected through student and parent questionnaires, while data on prior and current achievement was comprised from students' TIMSS 2011 scores and national examination results, respectively. Data was analyzed using multilevel modeling. The results indicate that teacher factors from the Dynamic model did not impact student achievement in mathematics and biology, but that they influenced student interest in both subjects. We offer recommendations for educational policy and directions for further research.

Izpit iz matematike na splošni maturi je v Sloveniji zelo dobro poznan, saj ga kot obvezen del splošne mature vsak gimnazijec opravlja bodisi na osnovni bodisi na višji ravni zahtevnosti že od leta 1995. V točkovnih ocenah je lahko kandidat na osnovni ravni ocenjen z ocenami od 1 do 5, na višji ravni do 8. Državni izpitni center in predmetna komisija z različnimi mehanizmi zagotavljajo, da oba izpita primerljivo znanje izmerita z enakimi ocenami, kar je nujno za zagotavljanje veljavnosti in objektivnosti državnega maturitetnega izpita. Seveda pa vedno obstaja prostor za znanstveno raziskovalne analize in izboljševanje obstoječih pristopov. Skozi primerjavo sedanjega pristopa k postavljanju mej med ocenami in analiz, ki temeljijo na Raschevem modelu teorije odgovora na postavko, sva raziskala načine, ki bi omogočali s post-hoc analizami v časovno kritičnem obdobju postavljanja mej med ocenami dosegati še bolj pravično in bolj primerljivo ocenjevanje znanja matematike na splošni maturi.

In Slovenia, textbooks are an integral part of the curriculum. Nationally certified textbooks guarantee both teachers and students that they provide all of the necessary knowledge in each subject. There are many available certified textbooks for each subject and teachers must decide which will be the source of instruction for their students. Our research question is whether groups of students who use different textbooks as their mandatory learning resource differ in their knowledge and their attitudes towards learning. We linked existing data from several sources and explored the scope of the use of different textbooks for mathematics and science subjects in primary schools. Data on student knowledge measured independently by National Assessments (and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study were used, and differences in knowledge and attitudes to learning between students who are taught using different textbooks were explored. Although the study has considerable limitations due to missing data, the results of the analyses indicate some profound differences in knowledge and attitudes between groups of students using different textbooks. These findings could serve as a guide for teachers when choosing the optimal available textbook for their students and, even more so, as support for improving the criteria in the national system of validation of textbooks in the future. The link between the use of textbooks and student learning outcomes also highlights the need to systematically collect information on the use of textbooks among students and follow the effects on achievement in order to improve the quality of future textbooks.