Self-Concept in Immigrant School Children and the Impact of Length of Residence - Evidence from PISA 2015

Oct 15, 2026

Immigrant students’ outcomes are examined using PISA 2015 data to address school adjustment and self-concept dimensions that are often under-studied. Portugal’s dataset of 7,325 fifteen-year-olds is analyzed, selecting 438 immigrant cases to test how length of residence in the host country affects belonging, perceived loneliness, and attitudes toward school. Results compare first- and second-generation immigrants, showing greater difficulties for those in the country for a year or less, while some longer-residence groups still show substantial maladjustment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

PISA assessment framework

Self-concept and school adjustment variables

Research objectives and data

Sample and dependent variables

Data analysis approach

Results and implications

doi: 10.26529/cepsj.859 Self-Concept in Immigrant School Children and the Impact of Length of Residence: Evidence from PISA 2015 for Current Educational Practice Sandra Figueiredo*1, João Marôco2, Margarida Alves Martins3 and Odete Nunes4 • Comparative analyses of the Programme for International Student Assessment between immigrant and native students place immigrant students inan unfavourable position in schools, with disadvantageous indicators regarding socioeconomic and professional paths. However, the Programme for International Student Assessment assesses a series of dimensions that involve constructs that have been little studied in the school immigrant population and that relate to self-concept and school adjustment. Based on the Programme for International Student Assessment’s most recent edition, Portugal’s database of 7,325 15-year-old students was analysed. We selected 438 immigrant cases with two objectives: (1) to evaluate the impact of the length of exposure in the host country on three dependent variables of school adjustment: sense of belonging, perceived loneliness and attitudes towards school (expectations of educational and professional opportunities); (2) to evaluate the differences in results for the same dependent variables, but considering the first and second generation of immigrants in Portugal. For the data analysis, sampling weights and plausible values were analysed with the International Database Analyzer. The results show that students who have been in the country for a year or less have greater difficulties and increased significant differences compared to other migrant groups in the referred indices of self-concept and inclusion. However, other groups, especially those with periods of long-term residence between four and five years, also face substantial levels of school maladjustment. Keywords: PISA assessment, immigrants, generations, self-concept, length of residence, school adjustment, sense of belonging 1 *Corresponding Author. Department of Psychology, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, Portugal; [sfigueiredo@autonoma.pt](sfigueiredo@autonoma.pt). 2 Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida, Portugal. 3 Instituto Universitário de Ciências Psicológicas, Sociais e da Vida and Centre for Educational Research, Portugal. 4 Department of Psychology, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, Lisbon, Portugal. 214 self-concept in immigrant school children and the impact of length of residence Samopodoba otrok priseljencev in vpliv dolžine prebivanja: podatki PISA 2015 o trenutni izobraževalnipraksi Sandra Figueiredo, João Marôco, Margarida Alves Martins in Odete Nunes • Primerjalne analize Programa mednarodne primerjave dosežkov učencev (angl. Programme for International Student Assessment) med priseljenskimi in domačimi učenci uvrščajo otroke priseljence v neprijeten položaj v šolah, in sicer z neugodnimi indikatorji glede družbenoekonomskih in poklicnih poti. Program za mednarodne primerjave dosežkovučencev pa ocenjuje število razsežnosti, ki vključujejo konstrukte, ki sobili pomanjkljivo preučeni v šolski priseljenski populaciji in ki zadevajosamopodobo ter prilagoditev na šolo. Na podlagi najnovejših podatkov Programa za mednarodne primerjave dosežkov učencev je bila analizirana portugalska podatkovna zbirka 7.325 15-letnih učencev. Izbrali smo 438 primerov priseljencev z dvema ciljema: 1) da ocenimo vpliv dolžine izpostavljenosti v državi gostiteljici na tri odvisne spremenljivke prilagajanja na šolo, tj. na občutek pripadnosti, zaznavo osamljenosti in na odnos do šole (pričakovanja glede izobraževalnih in poklicnih priložnosti); 2) da ocenimo razlike v rezultatih za iste odvisne spremenljivke ter pri temupoštevajoč prvo in drugo generacijo priseljencev na Portugalskem. Za analizo podatkov smo z Mednarodnim analizatorjem podatkovnih zbirk (angl. International Database Analyzer) utežili podatke glede na velikostvzorca in an

FAQs

What is the document’s main research focus?

The study investigates immigrants’ self-concept and school adjustment and how these relate to the length of residence in the host country, using PISA 2015 data.

How is the sample selected and what groups are compared?

From Portugal’s PISA 2015 dataset of 7,325 fifteen-year-olds, 438 immigrant cases are selected, and results are compared considering first and second generations.

Which school adjustment outcomes are analyzed?

Three dependent variables are used: sense of belonging, perceived loneliness, and attitudes toward school, including expectations about educational and professional opportunities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by WPS_1790064749