The role of reading engagement in improving national achievement: An analysis of Chile’s 2000–2009 PISA results

Abstract

Chilean students achieved the greatest improvements in reading scores among OECD countries according to 2000–2009 PISA results. The present study aimed to analyze both systemic and individual variables behind Chile’s achievement, with emphasis on analyzing the roles that reading attitudes and strategies can play. Results, obtained through Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition and multilevel models, were consistent with earlier literature. Furthermore, attitudes explain up to 25% of Chilean improvement and 8% of the variance within schools. In contrast, learning strategies are unrelated to achievement changes. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of reading development in the context of an emerging educational system