Title: Where Nonresponse is at its Loudest: Cross-Country and Individual Differences in Item Nonresponse Across the PISA 2018 Student Questionnaire
Abstract: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) student questionnaire, despite being designed for low cognitive demand, may induce test burden due to its 306-item length, resulting in increased item nonresponse towards the questionnaire’s end. Using the PISA 2018 response data from 80 countries and a cross-classified mixed effects model, this study explored the average, cross-country, and individual nonresponse trends throughout the questionnaire. The average nonresponse probability increased from 2% at the questionnaire’s start to 11% at its end. East Asian countries displayed the flattest nonresponse trends, while South American countries showed the steepest. Individual differences were also prominent: students with a lower initial nonresponse propensity experienced a steeper increase in their nonresponse propensity as they progressed through the questionnaire, whereas those with a higher initial propensity remained at a relatively constant level. We discuss the implications for questionnaire design and researchers using PISA student questionnaire data for secondary analysis.