Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...
Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...
Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...
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5.2.5.1.1 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)<br />
Comparative <strong>in</strong>ternational assessment can present national picture with a background so that<br />
every country can have better underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> national performance through a comparison with<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs. In this way <strong>countries</strong> can see <strong>the</strong>ir areas <strong>of</strong> relative strength <strong>and</strong> weakness, so timely<br />
decisions <strong>and</strong> measures can be taken. The organization for Economic Co-operation <strong>and</strong><br />
Development (OECD) responded to this need <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> society <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> 1997 launched Program for<br />
International Student Assessment (PISA), with <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> collect<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> present<strong>in</strong>g cross-<br />
country comparable data on 15 year old students‟ performance <strong>in</strong> schools. Students performance<br />
<strong>in</strong> three subjects areas; Science, Ma<strong>the</strong>matics <strong>and</strong> Read<strong>in</strong>g, is assessed <strong>in</strong> PISA. So far three<br />
PISA surveys have been completed. Each study assessed one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three subject areas (one<br />
subject was considered <strong>the</strong> major subject area <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r two subjects were considered m<strong>in</strong>or<br />
subject areas for that assessment year). First PISA survey was carried out <strong>in</strong> 2000, that year<br />
read<strong>in</strong>g was <strong>the</strong> major area <strong>of</strong> assessment. In 2003 Ma<strong>the</strong>matics was <strong>the</strong> major, read<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong><br />
science were a m<strong>in</strong>or. In PISA 2006, <strong>the</strong> focus was on science but <strong>the</strong> assessment also <strong>in</strong>cluded<br />
read<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> ma<strong>the</strong>matics <strong>and</strong> collected data on student, family <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutional factors that could<br />
help to expla<strong>in</strong> differences <strong>in</strong> performance. More than 0.4 million students from 57 <strong>countries</strong><br />
took part <strong>in</strong> PISA 2006 whereas 963 schools from 74 OECD <strong>countries</strong> participated <strong>in</strong> PISA 2009<br />
(OECD, 2011). PISA provides an excellent opportunity to all stake holders to evaluate <strong>and</strong><br />
estimate <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> teacher pr<strong>of</strong>ile <strong>and</strong> characteristics on student performance.<br />
This Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a unique <strong>in</strong>ternational collaborative<br />
effort <strong>of</strong> participat<strong>in</strong>g governments. Experts from <strong>the</strong>se participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>countries</strong> serve on work<strong>in</strong>g<br />
groups. Through <strong>the</strong>se experts, <strong>countries</strong> ensure that <strong>the</strong> PISA assessment <strong>in</strong>struments are<br />
<strong>in</strong>ternationally valid <strong>and</strong> take <strong>in</strong>to account <strong>the</strong> cultural <strong>and</strong> curricular contexts <strong>of</strong> OECD member<br />
<strong>countries</strong>, that <strong>the</strong>y provide a realistic basis for measurement, <strong>and</strong> that <strong>the</strong>y place an emphasis on<br />
au<strong>the</strong>nticity <strong>and</strong> <strong>education</strong>al validity (Luyten & Scheerens, 2005). The frameworks <strong>and</strong><br />
assessment <strong>in</strong>struments for PISA, adopted by <strong>the</strong> OECD member <strong>countries</strong>, are <strong>the</strong> product <strong>of</strong> a<br />
multi-year research <strong>and</strong> development process. PISA results; 2000, 2003 <strong>and</strong> 2006, <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>the</strong> best<br />
opportunity to look at how do different factors <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>and</strong> affect <strong>the</strong> <strong>education</strong>al outcomes.