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The use (and misuse) of Pisa in guiding policy reform: the case of Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Álvaro Choi

    (Universidad de Barcelona & IEB)

  • John Jerrim

    (University Colleage of London)

Abstract

In 2013 Spain introduced a series of educational reforms explicitly inspired by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 results. These reforms were mainly implemented in secondary education – based upon the assumption that this is where Spain’s educational problems lie. This paper questions this assumption by attempting to identify the point where Spanish children fall behind young people in other developed counties in terms of their reading skills. Specifically, by drawing data from multiple international assessments, we are able to explore how cross-national differences in reading skills change as children age. Consideration is given to both the average level of achievement and the evolution of educational inequalities. Our conclusion is that policymakers have focused their efforts on the wrong part of the education system; educational achievement is low in Spain (and educational inequalities large) long before children enter secondary school. This study therefore serves as a note of caution against simplistic interpretation of the PISA rankings; policymakers must take a more nuanced approach when enacting important educational reforms.

Suggested Citation

  • Álvaro Choi & John Jerrim, 2015. "The use (and misuse) of Pisa in guiding policy reform: the case of Spain," Working Papers 2015/6, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    • Handle: RePEc:ieb:wpaper:2013/6/doc2015-6
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zlata Bruckauf & Yekaterina Chzhen & UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2016. "Education for All? Measuring inequality of educational outcomes among 15-year-olds across 39 industrialized nations," Papers inwopa843, Innocenti Working Papers.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Educational policy; academic performance; PISA; PIRLS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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