E-Book Overview
The rapidly growing demand for highly skilled workers has led to a global competition for talent. While basic competencies are important for the absorption of new technologies, high-level skills are critical for the creation of new knowledge, technologies and innovation. The OECDs Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has taken an innovative approach to examining educational excellence, by directly assessing students knowledge, skills and attitudes and exploring how these relate to the characteristics of individual students, schools and education systems. Based on PISA survey results, this report examines who the highest performing students are, what the characteristics of the schools they attend are, to what extent they engage in science related activities outside of school, what their motivations and attitudes towards science are, and what their career intentions are. Table of Content : Foreword Executive Summary Reader's Guide Chapter 1. Excellence in Science Performance Chapter 2. Students Who Excel Chapter 3. Experiences, Attitudes and Motivations for Excellence References Appendix A. Data Tables Appendix B. Standard Errors, Significance Tests and Subgroup Comparisons
E-Book Content
Top of the Class Top of the Class High Performers in Science in PISA 2006 The rapidly growing demand for highly skilled workers has led to a global competition for talent. While basic competencies are important for the absorption of new technologies, high-level skills are critical for the creation of new knowledge, technologies and innovation. For countries near the technology frontier, this implies that the share of highly educated workers in the labour force is an important determinant of economic growth and social development. There is also mounting evidence that individuals with high-level skills generate relatively large externalities in knowledge creation and utilisation, compared to an “average” individual, which in turn suggests that investing in excellence may benefit all. Educating for excellence is thus an important policy goal. High Performers in Science in PISA 2006 The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has taken an innovative approach to examining educational excellence, by directly assessing students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes and exploring how these relate to the characteristics of individual students, schools and education systems. The development of this report was guided by three areas of interest: – Who are the students who meet the highest performance standards? What types of families and communities do these students come from? – What are the characteristics of the schools that they are attending? What kinds of instructional experiences are provided to them in science? How often do they engage in science-related activities outside of school? – What motivations drive them in their study of science? What are their attitudes towards science and what are their intentions regarding science-related careers? THE OECD PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT (PISA) PISA is a collaborative process among the 30 member countries of the OECD and nearly 30 partner countries and economies. It brings together expertise from the participating countries and economies and is steered by their governments on the basis of shared, policy-driven interests. Its unique features include: – The literacy approach: PISA defines each assessment area (science, reading and mathematics) not mainly in terms of mastery of the school curriculum, but in terms of the knowledge and skills needed for full participation in society. – A long-term commitment: It enables countries to monitor regularly and predictably their progress in meeting key learning objectives. – The age-group covered: By assessing 15-year-olds, i.e. young people near the end of their compulsory ed