Analysis of a set of student data

When we analysed a student dataset that included data from a number of schools, we found that the survey items clustered into four groups which broadly paralleled the five key competencies (see the table below).

Most of the ULST and some of the Thinking items formed one grouping (called Using strategies and tools to think in the Table above). Thinking, Managing self, Relating to others, and Participating and contributing each contained two main groups of items. These groups could be about the individual’s role and identity as a learner, the group or classroom learning culture (and specifically, the role of the teacher in creating this culture), or experiences that involved wider communities. Across four of the key competencies, items relating to the classroom learning culture and the role of the teacher tended to group together, but they also had a different look within each key competency. For Participating and contributing, one group of items was about participating in class. Another group was about participating in the wider world. For Managing self, one group was about interactions with teachers that supported self-management. The other group was about students’ self-managing behaviours. Overall, this analysis of the survey items shows us the important role of the teacher in creating a learning environment that enables students to strengthen the key competencies.

Back to: Key competencies in the classroom: NZCER student and teacher surveys