Investigation of factors related to immigrant and native students' mathematics performance in PISA 2018

This study examined the mathematics performance gap between native and immigrant students, and between first- and second-generation immigrant students in European countries in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Another objective was to understand how the performance gap changes after controlling for economic and social status (ESCS) and gender. Factors that can predict the mathematics performance of immigrant and native students were examined. Student-level variables were chosen based on Walberg's academic achievement theory. Country-level variables, such as the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), the Human Development Index (HDI), and government expenditure on education were included. An independent sample t-test was used to investigate the performance gap. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to investigate mathematics performance at the student and country levels. Propensity score matching was used to investigate the achievement gap after controlling gender and ESCS. Immigrants' and natives' mathematics performance is significantly predicted by government expenditure on education. In addition, the MIPEX was a significant predictor of first-generation immigrants' mathematics performance. Students' attitudes toward immigrants, discriminating school climate, and exposure to bullying were significant predictors of the mathematics performance of immigrants and natives. Resilience significantly predicted immigrants' mathematics performance. There was a statistically significant performance gap between natives and immigrants in 21 European countries. The performance gap narrowed after controlling for (ESCS) and gender.