Student Questionnaire – English

Instructions

In this questionnaire you will find questions about the following topics:

• You, your family, and your home
• Language learning in school
• Your view on reading
• How you think about your life
• Your School
• Your school schedule and learning time

Please read each question carefully and answer as accurately as you can.

Please note that there are different answering formats throughout this questionnaire.

In this questionnaire, there are no right or wrong answers. Your answers should be the ones that are right for yourself.

You may ask for help if you do not understand something or are not sure how to answer a question.

Some questions relate to reading.

Please note that the forward button used to proceed to the next question is located at the bottom right hand corner of your screen. In some instances you may need to scroll down to the bottom of your screen to access this forward button.

Your answers will be combined with answers from other students to calculate totals and averages. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, conducts the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the United States as authorized by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0755. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 minutes per student. If you have any comments or concerns regarding the accuracy of the time estimate(s), suggestions for improving the form, or questions about the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Potomac Center Plaza, 550 12th Street, SW, 4th floor, Washington, DC 20202.

OMB No. 1850-0755, Approval Expires 04/30/2021

You, Your Family, and Your Home

What grade are you in?

(Please select from the drop-down menu to answer the question.)

Grade (7 – 12)

When were you born?

(Please select the month, day, and year from the drop-down menus to answer the question.)

Month (January – December)

Day (1 – 31)

Year (2000 –2003)

Are you female or male?

(Please select one response.)

Female

Male

Which best describes you?

(Please select one response.)

I am Hispanic or Latino

I am not Hispanic or Latino

Which of these categories best describes your race?

(Please select one or more responses.)

White

Black or African American

Asian

American Indian or Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

What is the highest level of schooling (not including college) completed by your mother?

If you are not sure which response to choose, please ask the test administrator for help.

(Please select one response.)

She completed grade 12 (high school diploma or GED).

She completed grade 9.

She completed grade 6.

She did not complete grade 6.

Does your mother have any of the following degrees, certificates, or diplomas?

If you are not sure how to answer this question, please ask the test administrator for help.

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Master’s, doctoral, or professional degree such as medicine or law
Bachelor’s degree (4-year college degree)
Associate’s degree (2-year degree from a community college)
Vocational or technical certificate/diploma after high school (such as cosmetology or auto mechanics)

What is the highest level of schooling (not including college) completed by your father?

If you are not sure which response to choose, please ask the test administrator for help.

(Please select one response.)

He completed grade 12 (high school diploma or GED).

He completed grade 9.

He completed grade 6.

He did not complete grade 6.

Does your father have any of the following degrees, certificates, or diplomas?

If you are not sure how to answer this question, please ask the test administrator for help.

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Master’s, doctoral, or professional degree such as medicine or law
Bachelor’s degree (4-year college degree)
Associate’s degree (2-year degree from a community college)
Vocational or technical certificate/diploma after high school (such as cosmetology or auto mechanics)

Which of the following are in your home?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
A desk to study at
A room of your own
A quiet place to study
A computer you can use for school work
Educational software
A link to the Internet
Classic literature (e.g., Shakespeare)
Books of poetry
Works of art (e.g., paintings)
Books to help with your school work
Technical reference books or manuals
A dictionary
Books on art, music, or design
A guest room
A high-speed Internet connection
A musical instrument

How many of these are there at your home?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	None	One	Two	Three or more
Televisions
Cars
Bathrooms with a bathtub or shower
Cell phones with Internet access (e.g., smartphones)
Computers (desktop computer, portable laptop, or notebook)
Tablet computers (e.g., iPad®, Samsung Galaxy®)
E-book readers (e.g., Kindle™, Nook)
Musical instruments (e.g., guitar, piano)

How many books are there in your home?

There are usually about 15 books per foot of shelving. Do not include magazines, newspapers, or your schoolbooks.

(Please select one response.)

0-10 books

11-25 books

26-100 books

101-200 books

201-500 books

More than 500 books

The following two questions concern your mother’s job:

(If she is not working now, please tell us her last main job.)

What is your mother’s main job? (e.g., school teacher, cook, sales manager)
Please type in the job title.

What does your mother do in her main job? (e.g., teaches high school students, helps prepare meals in a restaurant, manages a sales team)
Please use a sentence to describe the kind of work she does or did in that job.

The following two questions concern your father’s job:

(If he is not working now, please tell us his last main job.)

What is your father’s main job? (e.g., school teacher, cook, sales manager)
Please type in the job title.

What does your father do in his main job? (e.g., teaches high school students, helps prepare meals in a restaurant, manages a sales team)
Please use a sentence to describe the kind of work he does or did in that job.

In what country were you and your parents born?

(Please select one response in each column.)

	You	Mother	Father
United States*
Other country

* NOTE: The “United States” refers to the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. military bases abroad.

How old were you when you arrived in the United States*?
* NOTE: The “United States” refers to the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. military bases abroad.

(Please select from the drop-down menu to answer the question. If you were less than 12 months old, please select “age 0-1” (age zero to one).)

Years

How old were you when you started pre-school?

(Please choose from the drop-down menu to answer the question.)

Years

How old were you when you started first grade?

(Please choose from the drop-down menu to answer the question.)

Years old

Have you ever repeated a grade?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	No, never	Yes, once	Yes, twice or more
In kindergarten
In grades 1-6
In grades 7-9
In grades 10-12

What language do you speak at home most of the time?

(Please select one response.)

English

Spanish

Other language

Which language do you usually speak with the following people?

(If English is your heritage language please select “Not applicable.”)

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Mostly my heritage language	About equally often my heritage language and English	Mostly English	Not applicable
My mother
My father
My brother(s) and/or sister(s)
My best friend
My schoolmates

Your School

How often do these things happen in your English/language arts classes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Every class	Most classes	Some classes	Never or hardly ever
Students don’t listen to what the teacher says.
There is noise and disorder.
The teacher has to wait a long time for students to quiet down.
Students cannot work well.
Students don’t start working for a long time after the lesson begins.

How often do these things happen in your English/language arts classes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Every class	Most classes	Some classes	Never or hardly ever
The teacher shows an interest in every student’s learning.
The teacher gives extra help when students need it.
The teacher helps students with their learning.
The teacher continues teaching until the students understand.

How often do these things happen in your English/language arts classes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Every class	Most classes	Some classes	Never or hardly ever
The teacher sets clear goals for our learning.
The teacher asks questions to check whether we have understood what was taught.
At the beginning of a lesson, the teacher presents a short summary of the previous lesson.
The teacher tells us what we have to learn.

Thinking of your past two English/language arts classes: how much do you disagree or agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
The teacher made me feel confident in my ability to do well in the course.
The teacher listened to my view on how to do things.
I felt that my teacher understood me.

How often do these things happen in your English/language arts classes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	Some classes	Many classes	Every class or almost every class
The teacher adapts the lesson to my class’s needs and knowledge.
The teacher provides individual help when a student has difficulties understanding a topic or task.
The teacher changes the structure of the lesson on a topic that most students find difficult to understand.

How often do these things happen in your English/language arts classes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	Some classes	Many classes	Every class or almost every class
The teacher gives me feedback on my strengths in this subject.
The teacher tells me in which areas I can still improve.
The teacher tells me how I can improve my performance.

Thinking of your past two English/language arts classes: how much do you disagree or agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
It was clear to me that the teacher liked teaching us.
The enthusiasm of the teacher inspired me.
It was clear that the teacher liked to deal with the topic of the lesson.
The teacher showed enjoyment in teaching.

During the last month, how often did you have to read the following types of texts for school (in the classroom or for homework)?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Many times	Two or three times	Once	Not at all
Texts that include diagrams or maps
Fiction (e.g., novels, short stories)
Texts that include tables or graphs
Digital texts including links

In your English/language arts classes, how often does the following occur?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or hardly ever	In some classes	In most classes	In all classes
The teacher encourages students to express their opinion about a text.
The teacher helps students relate the stories they read to their lives.
The teacher shows students how the information in texts builds on what they already know.
The teacher poses questions that motivate students to participate actively.

During this school year, how many pages was the longest piece of text you had to read for your English/language arts classes?

(Please select one response.)

One page or less

Between 2 and 10 pages

Between 11 and 50 pages

Between 51 and 100 pages

Between 101 and 500 pages

More than 500 pages

During this school year, when you have to read a book or a chapter from a book for your English/language arts class, does the teacher usually ask you to do the following tasks in the classroom or for homework?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Write a summary of the book or the chapter
List and write a short description of the main characters
Discuss in small groups with other students who read the same book or chapter
Give your personal thoughts about the book or the chapter (e.g., did you like it and if so, why?)
Answer questions about the book or the chapter
Compare the content of the book or the chapter with your own experience
Compare the book with other books or texts on a similar topic
Select a passage you liked or disliked and explain why
Write a text related to what you have read

This question refers to your entire school experience, between when you started first grade and today.

At school, have you ever been taught the following things?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
How to use keywords when using a search engine such as Google©, Yahoo©, etc.
How to decide whether to trust information from the Internet
How to compare different web pages and decide what information is more relevant for your school work
To understand the consequences of making information publicly available online on Facebook©, Instagram©, etc.
How to use the short description below the links in the list of results of a search
How to detect whether the information is subjective or biased
How to detect phishing or spam emails

How much do you agree or disagree with these statements about reading?

(Please take into account diverse kinds of reading material, such as books, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, emails...)

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
I read only if I have to.
Reading is one of my favorite hobbies.
I like talking about books with other people.
For me, reading is a waste of time.
I read only to get information that I need.

How often do you read these materials because you want to?

(Please take into account reading on paper and on digital devices.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	A few times a year	About once a month	Several times a month	Several times a week
Magazines
Comic books
Fiction (novels, narratives, stories)
Non-fiction books (informational, documentary)
Newspapers

Which of the following statements best describes how you read books (on any topic)?

(Please select one response.)

I rarely or never read books.

I read books more often in paper format.

I read books more often on digital devices (e.g., e-reader, tablet, smartphone, computer).

I read books equally often in paper format and on digital devices.

About how much time do you usually spend reading for enjoyment?

(Please take into account diverse kinds of reading, such as books, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, emails...)

(Please select one response.)

I do not read for enjoyment

30 minutes or less a day

More than 30 minutes to less than 60 minutes a day

1 to 2 hours a day

More than 2 hours a day

How often are you involved in the following reading activities?

(Please select one response in each row. If you don’t know what the activity is, please select “I don’t know what it is.”)

	I don’t know what it is	Never or almost never	Several times a month	Several times a week	Several times a day
Reading emails
Chat online (e.g., WhatsApp®, Messenger®)
Reading online news
Searching information online to learn about a particular topic
Taking part in online group discussions or forums
Searching for practical information online (e.g., schedules, events, tips, recipes)

How much do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
I am a good reader.
I am able to understand difficult texts.
I read fluently.
I have always had difficulty with reading.
I have to read a text several times before completely understanding it.
I find it difficult to answer questions about a text.

In the PISA assessment you took before the break, you had to read several texts and answer reading comprehension questions.

How do you feel about those reading tasks?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
There were many words I could not understand.
Many texts were too difficult for me.
I was lost when I had to navigate between different pages.

Reading Strategies

Introduction for reading metacognition

YOUR STRATEGIES IN READING AND UNDERSTANDING TEXTS

There are several strategies to read texts. Some of them are more useful or appropriate than others, depending on the kind of reading task. The next questions present three different reading tasks, followed by a list of “strategies.” We want to know your opinion about the usefulness of these strategies for the different reading tasks.

Think about the usefulness of each of the strategies in relation to the given reading task only. Some strategies may be useful for one reading task but not for another.

Give a score between 1 and 6 to every strategy. A score of 1 means you think it is not a useful strategy at all for this reading task. A score of 6 means you think it is a very useful strategy for this reading task.

You can use the same score more than once if you think two or more strategies are similarly useful, but please select only one response in each row.

Reading task: You have to understand and remember the information in a text.

How do you rate the usefulness of the following strategies for understanding and memorizing the text?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not useful at all (1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Very useful (6)
I concentrate on the parts of the text that are easy to understand.
I quickly read through the text twice.
After reading the text, I discuss its content with other people.
I underline important parts of the text.
I summarize the text in my own words.
I read the text aloud to another person.

Reading task: You have just read a long and rather difficult two-page text about fluctuations in the water level of a lake in Africa. You have to write a summary.

How do you rate the usefulness of the following strategies for writing a summary of this two-page text?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not useful at all (1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Very useful (6)
I write a summary. Then I check that each paragraph is covered in the summary, because the content of each paragraph should be included.
I try to copy out accurately as many sentences as possible.
Before writing the summary, I read the text as many times as possible.
I carefully check whether the most important facts in the text are represented in the summary.
I read through the text, underlining the most important sentences. Then I write them in my own words as a summary.

Reading task: You have received a message in your inbox from a well-known mobile phone operator telling you that you are one of the winners of a smartphone. The sender asks you to click on the link to fill out a form with your data so that they can send you the smartphone.

In your opinion, how appropriate are the following strategies in reaction to this email?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not appropriate at all (1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Very useful (6)
Answer the email and ask for more information about the smartphone
Check the sender’s email address
Click on the link to fill out the form as soon as possible
Delete the email without clicking on the link
Check the website of the mobile phone operator to see whether the smartphone offer is mentioned

How You Think About Your Life

The following question asks how satisfied you feel about your life, on a scale from “0” to “10.” Zero means you feel ‘not at all satisfied’ and “10” means ‘completely satisfied.’

Overall, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?

(Please move the slider to the appropriate number.)

Thinking about your school: to what extent do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
Trying hard at school will help me get a good job.
Trying hard at school will help me get into a good college or university.
Trying hard at school is important.

Which of the following do you expect to complete?

(Please select all that apply.)

Less than high school

High school (high school diploma or GED)

Vocational or technical certificate (such as cosmetology or auto mechanics)

Associate’s degree (2-year degree from a community college)

Bachelor’s degree (4-year college degree)

Master’s degree or doctoral degree or professional degree (e.g., J.D. or M.D.)

What kind of job do you expect to have when you are about 30 years old?

Please type in the job title.

How much do you agree with the following statements about yourself?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
I enjoy working in situations involving competition with others.
It is important for me to perform better than other people on a task.
I try harder when I’m in competition with other people.

How much do you agree with the following statements about yourself?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
I find satisfaction in working as hard as I can.
Once I start a task, I persist until it is finished.
Part of the enjoyment I get from doing things is when I improve on my past performance.
If I am not good at something, I would rather keep struggling to master it than move on to something I may be good at.

How much do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
When I am failing, I worry about what others think of me.
When I am failing, I am afraid that I might not have enough talent.
When I am failing, this makes me doubt my plans for the future.

How much do you agree with the following statement?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
Your intelligence is something about you that you can't change very much.

How much do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
My life has clear meaning or purpose.
I have discovered a satisfactory meaning in life.
I have a clear sense of what gives meaning to my life.

Thinking about yourself and how you normally feel, how often do you feel…

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Always
Happy?
Scared?
Lively?
Miserable?
Proud?
Afraid?
Joyful?
Sad?
Cheerful?

Think about your goals in school: how true are the following statements for you?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all true	Slightly true	Moderately true	Very true	Extremely true
My goal is to learn as much as possible.
My goal is to completely master the material presented in my classes.
My goal is to understand the content of my classes as thoroughly as possible.

How much do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
I usually manage one way or another.
I feel proud that I have accomplished things.
I feel that I can handle many things at a time.
My belief in myself gets me through hard times.
When I’m in a difficult situation, I can usually find my way out of it.

Thoughts on Your School

Thinking about your school: to what extent do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
I feel like an outsider (or left out of things) at school.
I make friends easily at school.
I feel like I belong at school.
I feel awkward and out of place in my school.
Other students seem to like me.
I feel lonely at school.

Thinking about this school year: to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
My parents support my educational efforts and achievements.
My parents support me when I am facing difficulties at school.
My parents encourage me to be confident.

Thinking about this school year: to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all true	Slightly true	Very true	Extremely true
Students seem to value competition.
It seems that students are competing with each other.
Students seem to share the feeling that competing with each other is important.
Students feel that they are being compared with others.

Your School Schedule and Learning Time

How many class periods per week are you typically required to attend for the following subjects?

(Please enter a number in each row. Enter "0" (zero) if you have none.)

Number of class periods per week in English/language arts (e.g., literature, writing)

Number of class periods per week in mathematics

Number of class periods per week in science

Number of class periods per week in foreign language

In a normal, full week at school, how many class periods are you required to attend in total?

(Please move the slider to the number of class periods per week.)

How many minutes, on average, are there in a class period?

(Please move the slider to the number of minutes per class period.)

In the last two full weeks of school, how often did the following things occur?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	None	One or two times	Three or four times	Five or more times
I skipped a whole school day.
I skipped some classes.
I arrived late for school.

Your School Experiences

During the past 12 months, how often did you have the following experiences at school?

(Some experiences can also happen in social media.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	A few times a year	A few times a month	Once a week or more
Other students left me out of things on purpose.
Other students made fun of me.
I was threatened by other students.
Other students took away or destroyed things that belonged to me.
I got hit or pushed around by other students.
Other students spread nasty rumors about me.

To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
It irritates me when nobody defends bullied students.
It is a good thing to help students who can’t defend themselves.
It is a wrong to join in bullying.
I feel bad seeing other students bullied.
I like it when someone stands up for other students who are being bullied.

Think about your school: how true are the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all true	Slightly true	Very true	Extremely true
Students seem to value cooperation.
It seems that students are cooperating with each other.
Students seem to share the feeling that cooperating with each other is important.
Students feel that they are encouraged to cooperate with others.

Thank you very much for your cooperation in completing this questionnaire!