Parents’ jobs linked more strongly than education to teens’ PISA scores, study finds

A new study by the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research finds that parents' occupations are more than twice as strongly linked to their children's PISA scores as parental education. Analyzing data from over 10,000 Israeli students, the study shows that fathers' jobs correlate with scores in reading, math, and science, while mothers' jobs correlate most strongly with reading. The researchers emphasize the findings highlight the need for education systems that promote equal opportunity.

A new study by the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research reveals that parents' occupations are more than twice as strongly linked to their children's PISA scores as parental education. The study, conducted by researcher Ariela Savin, Prof. Ayal Kimhi, and Prof. Dan Ben-David, analyzed data from 10,336 Israeli 15-year-olds who took Hebrew-language PISA tests in 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2022. Students who took the tests in Arabic were excluded due to discrepancies in reporting parental education. The researchers found that fathers' occupations were linked to children's results in reading, mathematics, and science, while mothers' occupations were linked most strongly to reading. For fathers, children of those in university teaching scored about 7.3% higher than a comparison group, while children of fathers in technology scored about 6.8% higher. For mothers, children of those in technology scored about 6.8% higher, while children of mothers working as early-childhood educators scored about 4.6% lower. The researchers emphasized the findings do not show causation and that unmeasured factors may contribute. The study highlights the need for education systems that promote equal opportunity and intergenerational mobility.