Main factors of determining the educational quality in Turkey based on the data of programme for international student assessment (PISA) 2006 version

The main goal of the research is to detect the main factors of educational quality and each factor?s power of predicting the educational outcomes. Educational quality is accepted as a common representative of the elements keeping the educational service to be produced. These components are modelled by considering the system approach.Target population of the study is fifteen year old students in formal education in Turkey. Sample is composed of 4.942 students in 160 schools that are selected by stratification and random methods from seven geographical regions and 51 provinces across Turkey.The study is a descriptive work in the survey model. Data that are gathered from Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 are used in the study. Main factors of the educational quality were displayed by way of factor analysis and the importance level of each factors were computed by using regression analysis.According to the results of the study four main factors shape the educational quality of fifteen year old students in Turkey. These factors and their estimation level are as followed:1.The factor of home and parent related features (52 %),2.The factor of student related features (14 %),3.The factor of teaching process related features (6 %),4.The factor of institutional environment related features (1,4 %).Based on the results it is suggested that Ministry of National Education should develop teaching processes and educate parents. It is also offered that future studies using panel data on educational quality should be done.