Performance factors and immigration. Impact of individual and school variables / Factores de rendimiento e inmigración. Impacto de variables individuales y escolares

Abstract

Abstract The way schools address migratory movements has a direct impact on integration and social cohesion, making the in-depth study of factors that affect the lower performance of immigrant students in comparison with non-immigrants essential. Using a methodology based on random coefficient models, this paper analyses the differential effect of individual level and school level variables on the estimation of mathematical competence in non-immigrant and immigrant populations. Data are extracted from an educational assessment programme carried out in the Basque Autonomous Community. The sample consists of 16,981 students with an average age of 13.7 years, of which 1,369 are immigrant students. The results reveal that individual and family-level variables show significantly higher impact on student performance than school-level variables. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of investing in policies to support diversity that work at family level, as a means to achieve fuller equity.