The Impact of Student Tardiness and Sense of Belonging on Reading Proficiency: Insights from PISA 2022 Data

This study examined the students' behavioral and motivational factors that influenced their reading proficiency as observed in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022. Employing a quantitative approach through exploratory data analysis, the research investigated the roles of truancy, tardiness, grade repetition, curiosity, sense of belonging at school, and life satisfaction in explaining variations in students' reading scores across the 20 top and bottom-performing countries in 2020, selected using quota sampling. Subsequently, the data were analyzed using bipolar analysis to identify groupings, with descriptive statistics derived from cluster analysis. Then, independent samples t-tests evaluated the significance of differences in student factors between these groups. Finally, significant variables were subjected to regression analysis to determine their relative influence on reading proficiency. The findings revealed that tardiness and sense of belonging were higher in top-performing countries, whereas truancy, grade repetition, curiosity, and life satisfaction were more prominent in bottom-performing countries. Notably, tardiness emerged as the primary predictor of reading achievement, while sense of belonging indirectly influenced reading outcomes through its association with other student behaviors. These results underscore the importance of targeted interventions aimed at reducing tardiness and fostering a supportive school environment to enhance literacy performance. Addressing these key student factors could inform educational policies and classroom practices that promote improved reading proficiency across diverse educational contexts.