Logistic Regression in Education: Comparing Standard, Multilevel, and Regularized Models for Grade Discrepancy Analysis
2025 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
This study examines how different methods for logistic regression can be used to studydiscrepancies between national test results and final course grades in Swedish uppersecondary schools. Using student-level data across multiple subjects, three logistic regressionframeworks are compared: standard, multilevel, and regularized. The models are evaluatedusing fit metrics (AIC, BIC, deviance) and predictive performance (AUC, sensitivity,specificity), as well as predicted probabilities of grade mismatch—defined as receiving acourse grade that does not align with the student’s national test result.
The analysis shows that mismatch probabilities vary by model type, subject, gender, andschool ownership. In the standard models, the mismatch probability for a male student in apublic school taking the Swedish test ranges from 14.8% (school level) to 28.6% (educationprovider level). Female students consistently exhibit higher mismatch probabilities across allmodels. Multilevel models consistently predict higher mismatch probabilities, emphasizingthe importance of accounting for hierarchical structures such as schools and municipalities.While regularized models, especially Ridge regression, provide the best model fit andpredictive accuracy, their coefficients are less interpretable in probability terms.
The findings suggest that logistic regression models reveal meaningful patterns in gradingpractices, though their capacity to predict individual-level mismatches remains limited.Future research may benefit from incorporating more flexible, nonlinear modelingapproache
Abstract [sv]
Denna studie undersöker hur olika logistiska regressionsmetoder kan användas för attanalysera avvikelser mellan nationella provresultat och slutbetyg i svenska gymnasieskolor.Med hjälp av elevdata från flera ämnen jämförs tre regressionsmodeller: standard, multilevel(hierarkisk) samt regulariserad logistisk regression. Modellerna utvärderas utifrån anpassning(AIC, BIC, devians), prediktiv förmåga (AUC, sensitivitet, specificitet) samt predikteradesannolikheter för betygsavvikelse – definierat som att eleven inte får ett kursbetyg somöverensstämmer med resultatet på det nationella provet.
Resultaten visar att sannolikheten för betygsavvikelse varierar beroende på modelltyp, ämne,kön och skolform. I standardmodellerna varierar sannolikheten för en manlig elev i enkommunal skola som skriver Svenska 1-provet mellan 14,8 % (skolnivå) och 28,6 %(huvudmannanivå). Kvinnliga elever uppvisar genomgående högre sannolikheter föravvikelse. Multilevelmodeller predikterar konsekvent högre sannolikheter änstandardmodellerna, vilket pekar på vikten av att beakta hierarkiska datastrukturer.Regulariserade modeller, framför allt Ridge-regression, ger bäst modellanpassning ochprediktiv noggrannhet, men är svårare att tolka i termer av sannolikheter.
Resultaten visar att logistisk regression ger värdefulla insikter i systematiska betygsmönster,även om den individuella förutsägelseförmågan är begränsad. Mer flexibla eller komplexamodeller kan därför vara ett viktigt inslag i framtida utbildningsforskning.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 70
Keywords [en]
logistic regression, multilevel modelling, grade mismatch, regularized regression, educational data
National Category
Probability Theory and Statistics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-106992OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-106992DiVA, id: diva2:2000032
Subject / course
Statistics
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-10-062025-09-232026-02-12Bibliographically approved