EXPLAINING READING LITERACY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGH- AND LOW-ACHIEVING KAZAKHSTANI 15-YEAR-OLDS: THE ROLE OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL-CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

Reading performance is one of the greatest challenges in the Kazakhstani education system. PISA results show a consistent large-scale reading underachievement among students. Given that reading is a prerequisite for prosperity in modern knowledge societies, it is important to understand what causes poor reading performance in Kazakhstani adolescents. This study investigates what personal and social-contextual factors explain the likelihood of Kazakhstani 15-year-olds being high- or low-achievers in reading. A binary logistic regression was performed in this quantitative study. The results showed that students with higher levels of reading enjoyment, a greater perception of competence, and greater knowledge of metacognitive skills were more likely to be high-achieving students. Regarding social-contextual factors, it was found that students from higher socioeconomic family backgrounds were more likely to attain high achievement levels in reading than those with lower socioeconomic statuses..