Fatores associados ao desempenho académico dos alunos da 3a classe em Moçambique: Uma aplicação do modelo linear multinível

Introduction: Academic performance is influenced by a combination of individual, family, school, and contextual factors. Understanding these factors is essential to guide effective educational policies. Objective: To determine the factors that affect the academic performance of 3rd grade students in Mozambique, based on empirical evidence. Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 7735 students, using cluster sampling. A proficiency test was applied to the students, along with a teacher´s notebook, a school administration questionnaire, and a school information bulletin. The analysis included descriptive statistics and multilevel linear regression, all performed using SPSS. Results: 45% of the variance in 3rd grade student performance is attributed to differences between the schools. In the final model, variables such as age and the frequency with which the student speaks Portuguese outside school- recoded in the database as “Mother Tongue”– were significant at the 5% level. At the school level, no variable was significant. Conclusion: Age and mother tongue are the key factors affecting student´s academic performance. This highlights the need for the creation of community reading programs, since many authors argue that this is where the main problem lies.