Investigation of the variables affecting science literacy in PISA 2003-2018 applications at school and student level

In this study, it was aimed to determine gender, type of program, home facilities, highest professional status of parents, highest level of education of parents on a yearly basis among Turkish students who participated in PISA applications in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 at the student level; then it was aimed to determine which variables predicted science literacy and what were the consistent predictor variables throughout the cycles at the school level. The sample of PISA application shows a multi-level structure due to the intertwining of school and student level features. Therefore, in the study, the effect of school and student characteristics on science literacy achievement was analyzed by using multivariate multi-level models. According to the findings obtained, it was observed that there were differences in the science literacy scores of students between schools in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018 PISA applications. Variables affecting science literacy achievement score highest in the Turkish sample were determined as the professional status of parents and the student/teacher ratio in PISA 2003 application; as professional status of the parents and the location of the school in the PISA 2006 application; as home facilities, school location and student/teacher ratio in PISA 2009; as the type of school and the student/teacher ratio in PISA 2012; as professional status of parents, the location of the school and the size of the school in PISA 2015; and as professional status of the parents and the settlement where the school was located in the PISA 2018.