Societal cultural dimensions and GDP as predictors of educational leadership and school autonomy indicators’ in PISA

Abstract

This paper examines how societal cultural values and the economic well-being of a country can predict school leadership and autonomy, two managerial indexes within education measured in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. Regression analysis (n = 70 countries) indicated that societal cultural dimensions, as measured by Hofstede's model, have significant predictive power for both indexes. Specifically, study uncovered that the Power Distance and Individualism dimensions have a positive relationship with educational leadership, while Long-term Orientation and Uncertainty Avoidance have a negative relationship. Furthermore, study identified a negative relationship between school autonomy and the Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance dimensions. A country's economic well-being, measured by GDP, is identified as a significant factor in educational leadership, with countries with higher a GDP scoring lower in educational leadership, however, GDP was not a predictor of the autonomy index. The study uncovers the under-researched connection between PISA and societal cultural dimensions and highlights the importance of contextualization in terms of societal cultures.

Does School Principals’ Leadership Vary Vis-A-Vis Cultural Differences from West to East or South to North?

“…On the other hand, it reveals existing inconsistencies in terms of the importance of societal cultural values in international studies such as the OECD PISA, OECD TALIS, or others. A study conducted by Minelgaitė, Nedzinskaitė, and Kristinsson (2018) showed that such societal cultural domains as Power Distance and Individualism as well as the country's well-being (measured by GDP) are predictors, with the moderate effect size, of educational leadership index in the OECD PISA 2015. The results of the mentioned study also revealed that countries with higher GDP score lower in educational leadership (Minelgaitė et al, 2018).…”

“…A study conducted by Minelgaitė, Nedzinskaitė, and Kristinsson (2018) showed that such societal cultural domains as Power Distance and Individualism as well as the country's well-being (measured by GDP) are predictors, with the moderate effect size, of educational leadership index in the OECD PISA 2015. The results of the mentioned study also revealed that countries with higher GDP score lower in educational leadership (Minelgaitė et al, 2018). Such inconsistencies in the research could be explained by the fact that different well-being measurement indicators were chosen.…”

Pedagogical importance of reading literacy. A comparative study on PISA

“…[37] state that, despite the existence of a common education system in Spain, there are various elements, such as regional education policies and contextual factors that can produce different results between the Autonomous Communities, exacerbated by the dual network of schools (public and private) which highlights the school segregation within the Spanish education system. Therefore, it is not only necessary to look at the existing differences in the student body, but it is also important to consider the socio-cultural dimensions and the level of well-being of the different countries studied as factors to be considered when interpreting the results and making comparisons between them and even when reformulating educational policies and practices [39] and, in the Spanish case, to the different Autonomous Communities, as education is a competence acquired by the Autonomous Communities. Therefore, coinciding with these aspects, there is also the influence that the cultural environment exerts on the performance of these tests, as reading is not only limited to the school environment [32].…”