The move beyond replication: what are its benefits

Results presented in this monograph have emphasized that analytical efforts should seek to apply techniques that are appropriate to the structure of the available data. Moreover, the application of simultaneous and conjunct analyses across countries has illustrated that the use of appropriate techniques does contribute important information to the understanding of educational phenomena that would not necessarily be revealed by the analysis of data within a particular country. In this way, the present study has shown that internationally comparative research can provide useful explanations of phenomena involving educational outcomes as well as the processes influencing such outcomes. In summary, the evidence presented in this monograph shows that despite differences which exist across languages and cultures, the processes involved in reading with comprehension at the 14-year-old level and the factors that operate to influence the development of this ability have more in common than is generally assumed. This knowledge is reassuring in a world that struggles to find a balance between national differences and international agreement.