Stefan Johansson, recipient of the 2024 WERA Visiting Researcher Award at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, shares his reflections on the academic visit. This prestigious award, jointly offered by WERA and NIE-NTU, offers scholars the opportunity to advance their research projects while benefiting from expert support at the host institution.
In April 2025, I spent a few amazing weeks visiting the National Institute of Education (NIE) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, thanks to receiving the WERA (World Education Research Association) Visiting Researcher Award. Right from the start, I felt genuinely welcomed and quickly settled into a friendly and inspiring environment that exceeded my expectations.
My research at NIE built on a previous project using Swedish PISA 2018 data, and during my stay, I added a comparative aspect by including 21 education systems participating in PISA 2022. The study focused on understanding how student-reported test effort and mathematics anxiety relate to mathematics achievement, and how these factors mediate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and achievement across eleven Western and eight East Asian countries. We applied multilevel, multigroup mediation models to explore whether these factors explain SES-related gaps and how the patterns differ across cultural contexts. Working alongside Associate Professor Youyan Nie and other colleagues gave me valuable insights, both into Singapore’s unique educational system and important methodological considerations for the ongoing research.
During my visit, I had the opportunity to present preliminary findings at a well-attended sharing session. I appreciated the humility and curiosity of the research team. Associate Professor Wan Har Chong at NIE kindly contacted the Ministry of Education in Singapore on my behalf regarding some queries I had about PISA data, for which I am very grateful. Joey Lim Li Ling handled all the practical matters with great care, offering guidance and being both cheerful and patient throughout my stay. I also enjoyed the chance to speak directly with students about their experiences with school and PISA testing, giving me valuable firsthand perspectives. These conversations were eye-opening and highlighted the importance of cultural context in educational research. Beyond the research activities, the visit was also personally rewarding. Singapore itself was fantastic — vibrant, diverse, and full of excellent food and exciting places to explore. I am truly grateful for the WERA Visiting Researcher Award. Receiving this award and visiting NIE was a great experience, and I hope it marks the beginning of ongoing collaboration.
–Stefan Johansson, Associate Professor, Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg