Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior

In recent years, student surveys have played an increasingly large role in educational research, policy making, and, particularly, accountability efforts. However, research on the accuracy of students’ self-reports about themselves and their education is limited to analyses of overall grade point av...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AERA open 2017-05, Vol.3 (2)
Main Authors: Rosen, Jeffrey A., Porter, Stephen R., Rogers, Jim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Academic Records
Accuracy
Algebra
College Entrance Examinations
Comparative Analysis
Course Selection (Students)
Geometry
Grade Point Average
Grades (Scholastic)
High School Students
Longitudinal Studies
Mathematics Achievement
Measurement Techniques
National Surveys
Scores
Secondary School Mathematics
Student Attitudes
Student Surveys
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Summary:In recent years, student surveys have played an increasingly large role in educational research, policy making, and, particularly, accountability efforts. However, research on the accuracy of students’ self-reports about themselves and their education is limited to analyses of overall grade point average and ACT/SAT standardized test scores. Using a unique data set, we investigate the accuracy of students’ survey responses to questions about their course taking and grades in mathematics during high school. We then analyze which student and survey characteristics influence accuracy. We find that students are reasonably good reporters of course-taking patterns but poor reporters of more potentially sensitive questions, including when the student completed Algebra I and the grade earned in the course. We find that lack of accuracy in student survey reports is consistently related to several student characteristics.
ISSN:2332-8584
2332-8584
DOI:10.1177/2332858417711427