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Effect of non-cognitive factors on academic achievement among students in Suzhou: evidence from OECD SSES data

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Abstract 

Non-cognitive abilities, also termed as Social and Emotional Skills (SSES), are believed to have a profound and far-reaching impact on individuals’ growth and development. Previous psychological experiments confirmed that non-cognitive factors could have an impact on education, health and social well-being. The SSES reports by OECD offer insights on multiple facets of non-cognitive information during adolescents’ growth, which seeks further understanding of the mechanisms and contextual features influencing the formation and development of students’ non-cognitive skills as well as subject learning. Based on the OECD 2019 Suzhou data, this study tested a number of hypotheses concerning social and emotional skills and subject learning achievements, including mathematics, reading literacy and arts. The results confirmed that various social and emotional non-cognitive constructs emerged to be facilitating disciplinary learning, including mathematics, reading literacy and arts achievements. This paper offers some reflections on the integration of non-cognitive skills in designing the education policy guidelines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Yang Liu

  2. University of Bahrain, Sakhir, Kingdom of Bahrain

    Ernest Afari

  3. School of Education, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia

    Myint Swe Khine

Authors
  1. Yang Liu
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  2. Ernest Afari
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  3. Myint Swe Khine
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Correspondence to Myint Swe Khine.

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Most recent publication: Khine, M. S., & Areepattamannil, S. (2016). Non-cognitive Skills and Factors in Educational Attainment. The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

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Liu, Y., Afari, E. & Khine, M.S. Effect of non-cognitive factors on academic achievement among students in Suzhou: evidence from OECD SSES data. Eur J Psychol Educ 38, 1643–1657 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00660-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00660-7

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