The Big Improvement in PISA 2009 Reading Achievements in Serbia: Improvement of the Quality of Education or Something Else?
Keywords:
PISA, Quality of education, Reading literacy
Abstract
The PISA 2009 results in Serbia show a big improvement in reading literacy compared to 2006 – the average score is 41 points higher, which is equal to the effect of a whole year of schooling in OECD countries and represents the second highest improvement ever recorded in a PISA
study. In the present paper, we discuss potential reasons for such a big improvement based on analysis of the PISA 2009 reading achievements in different countries, with a special focus on countries from the same region (Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania). The analysis shows that the largest part of the improvement was realised
at lower achieving levels, suggesting that the dominant method of teaching in schools is a traditional method oriented towards the acquisition and reproduction of academic knowledge. Findings of data analysis support the conclusion that the improvement is mainly the result of certain contextual factors, such as higher student motivation and a high level of
official support for the PISA study in Serbia, rather than representing a real improvement in the quality of education.
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References
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Baucal, A., Pavlović-Babić, D., Gvozden, U., & Plut, D. (2007). Obrazovna postignuća uÄenika
trećeg razreda osnovne škole: Nacionalno testiranje 2004. Belgrade: Zavod za vrednovanje kvaliteta obrazovanja i vaspitanja.
Bertschy, K., Cattaneo, M. A., & Wolter, S. C. (2008). What Happened to the PISA 2000 Participants Five Years Later? IZA discussion paper series (No. 3323). Bonn: IZA.
Birnbaum, A. (1968). Some Latent Trait Models and their Use in Inferring an Examinee’s Ability. In F. M. Lord & M. R. Novick (Eds.), Statistical Theories of Mental Test Scores. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Bond, T. G., & Fox, C. M. (2007). Applying the Rasch Model: Fundamental Measurement in the
Human Sciences. New Jersey: LEA.
Campbell, R. J., Kelly, D. L., Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., & Sainsbury, M. (2001). Framework and
Specification for PIRLS Assessment 2001. Boston: Lynch School of Education, Boston College.
Dimou, A. (2009). Politics or Policy: The Short Life and Adventures of Educational Reform in Serbia (2001-2003). In A. Dimou (Ed.), Transition and the Politics of History Education in Southeast Europe (pp. 159-200). Göttingen: V & R unipress.
EU (2002). Key Competencies. Brussels: EU Directorate General for Education and Culture.
EU (2007). Science Education Now: A Renewed Pedagogy for the Future of Europe. Brussels: EU.
EU (2009). Council Conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a Strategic Framework for European
Cooperation in Education and Training (‘ET 2020’). Official Journal of the European Union, C119, pp. 2-10.
Eurydice (2009). Key Data on Education in Europe 2009. Brussels: Eurydice.
Eurydice (2010). New Skills for New Jobs. Brussels: Eurydice.
Havelka, N. et al. (1990). Efekti osnovnog Å¡kolovanja. Belgrade: Institut za psihologiju.
Ivić, I., PeÅ¡ikan, A., & Antić, S. (2001). Aktivno uÄenje 2. Belgrade: Institut za psihologiju.
Johnson, E. G. (1992). The Design of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Journal of Educational Measurement, 29, 95-110.
Kirsh, I., de Jong, J., Lafontaine, D., McQueen, J., Mendelovits, J., & Monseur, C. (2002). Reading for Change: Performance and Engagement across Countries. Paris: OECD Publications.
LaBerge, D., & Samuels, S. J. (1974). Toward a Theory of Automatic Information Processing in
Reading. Cognitive Psychology, 6, 293-323.
Lemke, M., Gonzales, P. (2006). Findings from the Condition of Education 2006: U.S. Student and Adult Performance on International Assessments of Educational Achievement. Washington: National Centre for Educational Statistics
Lord, F. M. (1980). Applications of Item Response Theory to Practical Testing Problems. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Mincu, M. E. (2009). Myth, Rhetoric, and Ideology in Eastern European Education. European
Education, 41(1), 55–78.
Mullis, V. S., Martin, M. O., Kenneda, A. M., & Foy, P. (2007). PIRLS 2006 International Report.
Boston: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center.
NAEP (2001). The NAEP 1998: Technical Reports. Washington: US Department of Education.
OECD (2004). Learning for Tomorrow’s World: First Results from PISA 2003. Paris: OECD.
OECD (2005). The Definition and Selection of Key Competencies. Paris: OECD Publications & Office federal de la statistique.
OECD (2007). PISA 2006 Science Competences for Tomorrow’s World (Vol 1). Paris: OECD.
OECD (2010). PISA 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do. Paris: OECD.
Pejić, A., Nikolić, J., Moskovljević, J., & Plut, D. (2009). Jedan pristup u merenju kompetencija dece za razumevanje teksta. Paper presented at the Conference “Emprijska istraživanja u psihologiji 2009,†Belgrade.
Rychen, D. S. &. Salganik, L. H. (2003). A Holistic Model of Competence. In D. S. Rychen & L. H.
Salganik (Eds.), Key Competencies for a Successful Life and a Well-Functioning Society. Cambridge: Hogrefe & Huber Publishers.
Statistics Canada, & OECD (2005). Learning a Living: First Results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey. Ottawa and Paris: Statistics Canada, OECD.
Underwood, T. (1997). On Knowing What You Know: Metacognition and the Act of Reading.
Clearing House, 71(2), 77- 84.
UNICEF (2001). Sveobuhvatna analiza sistema osnovnog obrazovanja u SRJ. Belgrade: UNICEF.
Zavod za vrednovanje kvaliuteta obrazovanja i vaspitanja (2007). Nacionalno testiranje uÄenika IV razreda osnovne Å¡kole. Beograd: Zavod za vrednovanje kvaliteta obrazovanja i vaspitanja.
Published
2011-09-30
How to Cite
Pavlović Babić, D., & Baucal, A. (2011). The Big Improvement in PISA 2009 Reading Achievements in Serbia: Improvement of the Quality of Education or Something Else?. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 1(3), 53-74. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.414
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