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...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jeffrey A. Rosen, Stephen R. Porter, Jim Rogers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2017-05-01
Series:AERA Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858417711427
_version_ 1818995196798435328
author Jeffrey A. Rosen
Stephen R. Porter
Jim Rogers
author_facet Jeffrey A. Rosen
Stephen R. Porter
Jim Rogers
author_sort Jeffrey A. Rosen
collection DOAJ
description 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.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T21:10:00Z
format Article
id doaj.art-cb0c4aa2e7794a3a9df3e096d341447e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2332-8584
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T21:10:00Z
publishDate 2017-05-01
publisher SAGE Publishing
record_format Article
series AERA Open
spelling doaj.art-cb0c4aa2e7794a3a9df3e096d341447e2022-12-21T19:26:32ZengSAGE PublishingAERA Open2332-85842017-05-01310.1177/2332858417711427Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking BehaviorJeffrey A. RosenStephen R. PorterJim RogersIn 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.https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858417711427
spellingShingle Jeffrey A. Rosen
Stephen R. Porter
Jim Rogers
Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior
AERA Open
title Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior
title_full Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior
title_fullStr Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior
title_full_unstemmed Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior
title_short Understanding Student Self-Reports of Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior
title_sort understanding student self reports of academic performance and course taking behavior
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858417711427
work_keys_str_mv AT jeffreyarosen understandingstudentselfreportsofacademicperformanceandcoursetakingbehavior
AT stephenrporter understandingstudentselfreportsofacademicperformanceandcoursetakingbehavior
AT jimrogers understandingstudentselfreportsofacademicperformanceandcoursetakingbehavior