Reading subskill differences between students in Shanghai-China and the US: evidence from PISA 2009

Based on different language systems and educational practices of their respective countries, hypotheses were made regarding how 15-year-old students from Shanghai-China and the US might differ in the 5 reading subskills designated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) when they have the same overall reading ability (i.e., when their overall reading ability is controlled for). A multilevel analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses using the PISA 2009 reading dataset. When we controlled for students' overall reading ability, individual socioeconomic status (SES), and school mean SES, Shanghai-Chinese students performed significantly better in integrating and interpreting than US students. Further, when we controlled for students' overall reading ability and school mean SES, US students showed significantly higher performance in reading non-continuous texts than Shanghai-Chinese students, whereas US students showed significantly lower performance in reading continuous texts. The results of this study can inform reading instruction and learning in the 2 countries.     

The influences of inductive instruction and resources on students' attitudes toward reading: evidence from PISA 2009

The declining trend in the positive reading attitude of students' has concerned scholars. This paper aims to apply a 3-level hierarchical linear model to analyse how inductive instruction and resources influence both students' positive and negative attitudes towards reading. Approximately 470,000 15-year-old students, and their school principals, from 65 countries completed a questionnaire, which was designed by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In line with previous research, gender, the student–teacher relationship, online academic searches, and reading habits are correlated with both positive and negative reading attitudes. Multilevel results show that reading attitudes improved when a school provides a context in which inductive instruction has been enforced. The natural log value of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in a country is statistically significantly negative when associated with a student's positive and negative reading attitudes. Further, in a country with largely unqualified teachers, school-level inductive teaching lowers the negative attitude.     

An examination of student- and across-level mediation mechanisms accounting for gender differences in reading performance: a multilevel analysis of reading engagement

Enjoyment of reading, diversity of reading and metacognitive awareness of reading strategies are cognitive and affective variables pertaining to three facets of reading engagement for students to read happily, widely and skilfully. These have been found to be related to effectiveness in reading instruction. They together form a focus for this study to examine the underlying student- and across-level mechanisms to explain gender differences in reading performance of Macao students. Drawing data from Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 Study, the mediation effects of gender and the school’s gender composition on reading performance are analysed. Two findings are of both theoretical and pedagogical interests. Firstly, the three facets of reading engagement from the nurture perspective explain substantially the within-school gender gap. Secondly, in coeducation context where students read happily and skilfully, there are gender-specific peer influences across-level onto student reading performance. Implications for gender-inclusive reading instruction programmes are discussed.     

Finland and Singapore in PISA 2009: similarities and differences in achievements and school management

In PISA 2009, Finland and Singapore were both ranked high among the participating nations and have caught much attention internationally. However, a secondary analysis of the means for Reading achievement show that the differences are rather small and are attributable to spurious precision. Hence, the two nations should be considered as being on par with each other in achievements and be assigned the same rank. Spurious precision as a problem of interpreting and reporting research findings has caught the attention of researchers in several other disciplines, though not in the field of education, and this needs to be rectified. In spite of the finding of no differences in PISA Reading achievement, principals in Finland and Singapore differ somewhat in school management and involvement in school matters. It is suggested that some intervening variables (e.g., teachers’ quality and instruction) are needed to explain the correlation (or the lack of it) between principals’ management styles and student Reading achievement. It is also suggested that school principals’ management styles might have been influenced by the cultural milieus of the countries and have influenced students’ social-emotional development, which is not measured by PISA.     

PIRLS与PISA视域下的阅读课程改革

在阅读素养培育与测评方面,PISA与PIRLS为我们提供了参照,为我国大陆的阅读课程改革指明了方向。依据PISA与PIRLS,我们需要更加重视阅读的社会性、阅读乐趣和终身阅读能力的培养,要联系学生生活实际进行阅读材料选择,构建全面科学的阅读素养评价指标体系并完善阅读课程标准,加强开放题的编制与评分指导,综合考虑各种影响因素,系统进行阅读素养培育。     

从批判性思维培养的视角看中美语文教材的差异——PISA测试结果的启示

批判性思维是语文素养的重要能力,而阅读是语文教学的核心。国际能力测试PISA显示,我国学生阅读总体水平世界第一,但与批判性思维相关的部分成绩较低。这种现象引起了学界的广泛重视。我国教材在自然描写、情感道德、历史文化传统、爱国主义、生活知识与技能等方面的比例与美国的教材显著不同;在连续性文本和非连续性文本比例上也与美国差异巨大。阅读内容及其文本形式关乎我国学生阅读能力中批判性思维的培养。建议教材中增加与学生生活、社会现实问题联系密切的以非连续性文本形式呈现的内容。     

元认知理论与外语阅读理解监控能力的培养

阅读理解监控能力的培养对于大学生英语阅读理解能力的提高和阅读理解教学的改革具有重要意义.在教学中培养学生阅读理解监控能力应从以下几方面努力:培养学生的目标意识;指导学生根据不同的任务变量选择并调整阅读策略;将阅读理解监控训练融入语言教学中去,从而提高英语阅读教学效果和学生的自主学习能力.     

An assessment of how scientific literacy-related aims are actualised in the National Primary Science curricula in China and Finland

This research compared how the scientific literacy-related goals of the current Chinese and Finnish national science curricula at primary school level are actualised using a revised Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scientific literacy framework in the content analysis of the curricula. The content of the curricula focuses principally on knowledge, followed by competencies and attitudes, respectively. The learning context was seen to be thoroughly integrated with the content in both countries. However, the curricula are written in different ways. Generally, the literacy objectives for both curricula are based on scientific knowledge (Vision I) and the application of knowledge-based skills in situations (Vision II). However, they are characterised by implicit views that derive from the pursuit of the value-driven transformation of individuals and society achieved through science education (Vision III). The Chinese curriculum appears to favour the Anglo-American curriculum tradition, whereas the Finnish curriculum appears to be more attached to the Bildung-Didaktik tradition in terms of core tasks and the specification of objectives. The recommendation is that Vision III should be included in the science curricula, and should explicitly relate to social and scientific topics with a view to furthering a scientifically literate public.     

Placing PISA and PISA for schools in two federalisms,Australia and the USA

ABSTRACT

This paper accepts that the OECD’s PISA has become influential in policy terms globally, but analyses the ways that the main PISA and PISA for Schools tests are positioned differently in Australia and the USA because of contrasting educational federalisms in the two nations. Our argument is that while PISA is undoubtedly influential, its effects are nonetheless mediated by the political structures – here, the different models of federalism – present within different nations, which in turn leads to quite distinct ‘PISA effects’. For instance, Australia oversamples on main PISA to make its data available for national and state-level policymaking, whereas the USA, with its focus on local governance in schooling, does not oversample, meaning that main PISA does not have a comparable policy salience as in Australia. Conversely, the newer PISA for Schools test originated in the USA with pressure from educators and philanthropic interests and has been implemented in a good number of schools, but it has not been taken up in the same way in Australia. Our analyses show how these differences reflect the idiosyncratic workings of federalism in the two nations, in which the federal government has a stronger policy and funding role in Australia than has hitherto been the case for the federal government in the USA.     

The relationship between formative assessment and reading achievement: A multilevel analysis of students in 19 countries/regions

Despite the general consensus on the positive impact of formative assessment on student learning, researchers have not shown the underlying mechanisms between specific formative assessment strategies and academic performance on an international sample. This study examines the link between student and teacher reports of teachers’ formative assessment strategies (i.e. clarifying goals and monitoring progress, providing feedback, and instructional adjustments) and students’ reading achievement, based on data from 151,969 fifteen-year-olds in 5,225 schools in 19 countries/regions in PISA 2018 via multilevel analysis of plausible values. The results show that clarifying goals and monitoring progress, and instruction adjustments are positively linked to reading achievement, but providing feedback alone has no significant impact. These findings highlight the complexity of formative assessment as a multifaceted concept and the different impacts of formative assessment strategies on student learning. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

阅读材料与英语阅读关系分析

大量英语阅读有助于提高英语水平,然而,阅读容易受情绪、心理的影响。学习者的英语水平,自主性强弱,阅读技巧,阅读材料的难易度,时间因素等都可能影响阅读活动。其中,阅读材料的选取在阅读活动中起着举足轻重的作用。为了使阅读成为悦读,就要根据读者情况选择合适的阅读材料。     

The politics of PISA: The media,policy and public responses in Norway and England

Using the PISA 2015 releases in Norway and England, this article explores how PISA has been presented in the media and how the policy level has responded to the results. England will be used as an example for comparison. The article presents early media responses from the 20 most circulated daily newspapers in the two countries and discusses them in relation both to the national PISA reports in Norway and England, as well as the international report of the OECD. The media responses are further interpreted in light of previous research in both countries, with a particular focus upon Norway, where previous Ministers of Education have been interviewed about assessment policy and education reforms.     

Reflections on the role of metacognition in student reading and learning at higher education level

Abstract

This article represents a literature review and interpretation pertaining to the role that metacognition is seen to play in student performance. It begins by providing evidence from research reported in the literature which indicates that not all students are able to accurately assess their capabilities, and suggests that this lack is linked to insufficiently developed metacognitive skills (MS). The concept of metacognition, as well as its role in academic learning and reading, is discussed. On the basis of evidence from research reported in the literature, which has shown that explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies can result in improved performance among students, the article concludes by suggesting practical ways in which lecturers can help their students develop key MS.     

中国4省市阅读教学模式探究:基于PISA2018测评的潜在剖面分析

教师的课堂教学行为对学生学习有着重要作用。基于课堂教学的三维理论模型,采用中国4省市PISA2018测试数据,使用潜在剖面分析,探索中国4省市阅读教学的典型模式,并就不同模式对学生学习的影响开展研究。结果发现:1)学生感知到的教师教学模式主要有综合发展型、普通支持型和纪律导向型;2)感知到综合发展型教学模式的学生在学科知识与理解、动机、情感与注意力和学习时间维度上均表现最佳,纪律导向型教学模式的学生在各指标上表现较弱;3)不同家庭社会经济地位和不同学校类型的学生对不同教学模式的感知存在显著差异,家庭社会经济地位中等及以下的学生、城镇和农村学校的学生更容易感知到纪律导向型教学模式,更难感知到综合发展型教学模式,男女生对不同教学模式的感知不存在显著差异。在此基础上,提出要为教师采用综合发展型教学模式创造条件、教师要强化元认知教学并关注课堂教学的群体差异与区域差异等建议。     

Developing higher-order reading skills in mainstream primary schools: A metacognitive and self-regulatory approach

The ability to read relies upon not just decoding, but also comprehending text. Being a good comprehender requires strategic reading and implies the use of comprehension strategies. Research indicates that readers who are taught several reading comprehension strategies have better reading skills than those only taught a single strategy. One multiple strategy reading comprehension intervention was evaluated using a mixed-model quasi-experimental design. Intervention and control conditions groups were assessed at pre- and post-test points with standardised reading comprehension abilities, measured as the primary outcome measure. Implementation science principles were observed and evaluated. The schools all served areas of low socio-economic status. 74 pupils (aged 9–10) in five classes in four primary-level mainstream schools in a Scottish local authority were recruited as participants. Training was provided to participating schools by the first author and the programme was delivered in four sessions of 45 minutes per week for 8 weeks. An ANCOVA revealed a statistically significant effect of condition. Statistically significant scores were also evident in the secondary outcome measures of decoding of target word skills, children’s self-reports of their reading strategy use and recreational reading frequency. Implementation tools indicated that the intervention was acceptable and feasible to implement. Implications of introducing this multiple strategy reading comprehension programme and of the evaluation of implementation are discussed.     

Competitive comparison and PISA bragging rights: sub-national uses of the OECD's PISA in Canada and the USA

Participation in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) has continuously expanded: from 43 systems in 2000 to 65 systems in the 2012 cycle, with 71 signed up for PISA 2015. There also has been a growth in sub-national participation, expanding PISA's reach beyond the nation-state. This paper explores sub-national PISA participation in Canada and the USA, asking how PISA is being used within sub-national education policy spaces. We draw on analysis of documents and data from interviews with officials at sub-national, national, and international levels. Findings illustrate some of the diverse motivations and uses of PISA, providing insights into the effects of PISA at the sub-national scale. As such, we argue that competitive comparison in education has deepened through the enhanced granularity of international large-scale assessment data to new scales beyond the nation-state.     

元认知策略与英语阅读理解相关研究

大量学者研究证实,元认知的运用成功与否将直接影响外语学习的成效。阅读活动中的元认知研究更是倍受关注。本文作者在国内外相关文献研究的基础上,阐述了元认知策略的内涵和英语阅读的本质,并结合贵州大学英语专业学生的问卷调查及阅读测试,探讨了元认知策略的使用与英语阅读理解能力之间的关系,并对如何在英语阅读中运用元认知策略提出建议。     

PISA与TIMSS中有关数学评价的比较分析

PISA与TIMSS是近年来较为活跃的两个国际评价项目,它们在评价的目的、使用的评价框架以及试题的形式等方面有所不同,但其中又包含一定的相似的成分,对二者异同的分析将有助于我们进一步认识数学课程实施及数学素养评价的要素和关键。