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The role of PISA Assessments

Masters of Advanced Education, University of the people

EDUC 5440-01 - AY2023-T2: Assessment and Evaluation

Dr Emad Shahrori

December 22, 2022

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Written Assignment: Unit 6

As an educator working in international schools for the past 16 years, I have never

worked in a school that participates in PISA. Therefore, I had to go back to the beginning and

find out what PISA is, why it is conducted and why there are so many divergent opinions about

it.

What is PISA?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducts the

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in member and non-member countries.

The goal is to evaluate educational systems by assessing the academic performance of 15-year-

old school students in the subjects of mathematics, science, and reading every three years.

(Program for international student assessment, n.d.) The evaluation looks at how well students

can draw from what they have learned and apply that knowledge in unfamiliar circumstances,

both within and outside the classroom, and determine if they can reproduce knowledge. This

strategy reflects the fact that individuals are rewarded in today's terms not for what they know

but how they can utilise that knowledge. (Mo et al.)

PISA countries include, but are not limited to, the United States, the United Kingdom,

Australia, New Zealand Canada. Latin American countries like Brazil, Chile, Panama and Peru.

European countries like Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Poland.

And Asian countries such as Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Vietnam. (Program for

international student assessment, n.d.).

PISA assessments are jointly designed, approved by the participating countries and

economies and implemented by national organisations. Throughout all development and

implementation phases, PISA's effectiveness has depended heavily on the cooperation of

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students, educators, and principals in participating schools. (Mo et al.) Governments, education

ministries, and newspaper editorial boards eagerly await the Pisa results, which are mentioned

with authority in numerous policy reports. (Guardian News and Media, 2014).

Advantages and Limitations

An important factor driving the trend toward administering standardised tests is the rise

in global competition brought on by globalisation and the widespread use of international tests

like the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in

International Mathematics and Sciences Study (TIMSS). (Morris, 2019).

According to PISA, data on student learning results will be made available to

policymakers, enabling them to compare the quality and equity of learning outcomes attained

globally. (Tessadri, 2019). Given that every nation in the world has endorsed the Education

Sustainable Development Goals agenda, this form of global benchmarking is more important

than ever. (Miller, 2016).

One of the controversies of PISA testing is that PISA results are based on a limited

quantitative analysis of a small number of parameters, which in no way can present a

comprehensive picture of high-quality education. Moreover, despite evidence showing that

lasting reforms in education take decades, PISA's three-year testing cycle has shifted focus to

short-term initiatives intended to help a country quickly climb the rankings. (Tessadri, 2019).

According to Carnoy's report, it is claimed journalists and policymakers incorrectly

blamed the poor performance of U.S. students entirely on the calibre of U.S. education. They

should have adjusted international test results for significant national differences in students'

family academic resources, such as books in the home or their mother's education. (Carnoy,

2015). It states further that the interpretation of results is simplistic, exaggerated, and deceptive.
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It disregards the complexity of the information contained in test results and might be influencing

policymakers to undertake unwise and even damaging reforms that alter elements of the

American educational system that might be performing well while ignoring elements that might

be failing. (Carnoy, 2015). The high level of stress already present in classrooms and schools is

exacerbated by the emphasis placed on PISA results, threatening the health of both students and

teachers. More teachers and students participating in the development of educational policies

will result in more long-lasting changes. (Tessadri, 2019)

In conclusion, standardised testing, like PISA, plays an essential role in helping countries

and education systems measure their own efficacy and compare themselves against other

countries and education systems. It is, therefore, important to acknowledge that while the ideal

assessment system supports growing student performance, there is a chance that educators and

others will become overly dependent on national examinations as a measure of development.

Students may miss out on learning skills that are not examined under a system where the national

test is given too much weight, and teachers may feel pressured to "teach to the test." The range of

indicators disclosed to the public can be expanded in order to reduce over-reliance on national

test results. (Morris, 2019).

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References

Carnoy, M. (2015, October). International test score comparisons and educational

policy: a review of the critiques. National Education Policy Center (NEPC).

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED574696.pdf

Guardian News and Media. (2014, May 6). OECD and PISA tests are damaging education

worldwide - academics. The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/06/oecd-pisa-tests-damaging-

education-academics

Miller, L. (2016, July 28). PISA for Development: Benefits for participating countries.

About - PISA. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from

https://www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/pisa-for-development-participating-countries.htm

Mo, J., Achiron, M., Guillou, H., & Ikeda, M. (n.d.). PISA 2018 Assessment and

Analytical Framework. Home | OECD iLibrary. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/b25efab8-en/index.html?itemId=%2Fcontent

%2Fpublication%2Fb25efab8-en

Morris, A. (2019, September 27). Student Standardised Testing: Current Practices in

OECD Countries and a Literature Review. OECD Education Working Papers No. 65.

Retrieved December 18, 2022, from

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/5kg3rp9qbnr6-en.pdf?

expires=1671632290&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=AD5EBC6C6E9DEED0052A9

7DB4EF0EEE7
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Program for international student assessment (PISA). National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.).

Retrieved December 18, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/

Tessadri, G. (2019, December 19). Pisa's inconsistencies. Organising Bureau of

European School Students Union. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from

https://www.obessu.org/site/assets/files/2680/pisas_inconsistencies_-_why_policy-

makers_should_be_cautious_with_pisa_results.pdf