School performance and inequality of opportunities in Latin America

This research investigates the main determinants of educational outcomes for students aged 15–16 in Latin America, aiming to identify differences among countries. To achieve this, data from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were examined using the education production function and multilevel regression, considering both the impacts created by schools and the characteristics of students and their families, as well as in-school process variables such as instructional practices and learning environment dynamics. Not only do the results show differences in school performance in Latin American countries, but also that failing grades and insecurity faced by the students worsen school performance. On the other hand, studying at a school located in a medium-to-large city increases students' performance in the skills tested. Moreover, family background has a significant impact on students' academic performance, suggesting profound inequalities of opportunities in Latin American countries. The results show that, in addition to socioeconomic and school-related factors, process variables play a relevant role in explaining academic performance: a positive classroom climate and adaptive instruction are associated with higher performance, especially in reading and mathematics, while negative perceptions of teacher feedback correlate with lower performance, particularly among more disadvantaged students.