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What Explains Vietnam's Exceptional Performance in Education Relative to Other Countries? Analysis of the 2012, 2015, and 2018 PISA Data

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  • Dang, Hai-Anh
  • Glewwe, Paul
  • Lee, Jongwook
  • Vu, Khoa

Abstract

Despite being the poorest or second poorest participant, Vietnam outperformed all other developing countries, and many wealthier countries, on the 2012, 2015, and 2018 PISA assessments. We investigate Vietnam's strong performance, evaluating several possible explanations for this apparent exemplary achievement. After correcting for potentially non-representative PISA samples, including bias from Vietnam's large out-of-school population, Vietnam remains a large positive outlier conditional on its income. Possible higher motivation of, and coaching given to, Vietnamese students can at most only partly explain Vietnam's performance. The child-, household- and school-level variables in the PISA data explain little of Vietnam's strong PISA performance relative to its income level. At most, they explain about 30% of Vietnam's exceptional performance in math and reading. Further research is needed to understand the exceptional performance of Vietnamese students.

Suggested Citation

  • Dang, Hai-Anh & Glewwe, Paul & Lee, Jongwook & Vu, Khoa, 2023. "What Explains Vietnam's Exceptional Performance in Education Relative to Other Countries? Analysis of the 2012, 2015, and 2018 PISA Data," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:96:y:2023:i:c:s027277572300081x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102434
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    1. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Perera, Liyanage Devangi H. & Xiao, Saizi, 2020. "Vietnam’s extraordinary performance in the PISA assessment: A cultural explanation of an education paradox," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(5), pages 913-932.
    2. Pritchett, Lant, 2024. "Investing in human capital in Africa: a framework for research," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 123655, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    6. Lant Pritchett & Martina Viarengo, 2023. "The Learning Crisis of Developing Country Elites: Lessons from PISA-D," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(2), pages 177-204.
    7. Dang,Hai-Anh H. & Nguyen,Minh Cong & Trinh,Trong-Anh, 2023. "Does Hotter Temperature Increase Poverty and Inequality ? Global Evidence from SubnationalData Analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10466, The World Bank.
    8. Bui, Tuan Anh & Nguyen, Cuong Viet & Nguyen, Khuong Duc & Nguyen, Ha Hong & Pham, Phuong Thu, 2020. "The effect of tuition fee reduction and education subsidy on school enrollment: Evidence from Vietnam," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    9. Maddawin, Angelica & Morgan, Peter & Park, Albert & Suryadarma, Daniel & Long, Trinh Q. & Vandenberg, Paul, 2024. "Learning disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from household surveys in Southeast Asia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    10. Liu, Ji & Steiner-Khamsi, Gita, 2020. "Human Capital Index and the hidden penalty for non-participation in ILSAs," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; student learning; test scores; enrollment; PISA; Vietnam;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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