PISA 2009 at a Glance

PISA 2009 at a Glance is a companion publication to PISA 2009 Results, the six-volume report on the 2009 survey conducted by the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA assesses the extent to which students near the end of compulsory education have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. Its triennial assessments of 15-year-olds focus on reading, mathematics and science.



PISA 2009 at a Glance provides easily accessible data on the some of the main issues analysed in the full report: What students know and can do: How do students compare in the knowledge and skills they show at school? Which countries are the best performers? Which perform poorly? Overcoming social background: Does a student’s socio-economic background affect his or her performance in school? Learning to learn: Are there some types of reading, and some ways of learning, that are better for students than others? What makes a school successful?: What traits do high-performing schools have in common?
Table of Contents
Reader’s Guide
1. What Students Know and Can Do
What can students do in reading?
How do countries/economies perform in reading overall?
How do girls compare to boys in reading skills?
What can students do in mathematics?
How do countries/economies perform in mathematics overall?
How do girls compare to boys in mathematics skills?
What can students do in science?
How do countries/economies perform in science overall?
How do girls compare to boys in science?
How many students are top performers?
Trends
Performance in reading since 2000
Changes in reading scores since 2000
Reading scores among low-performing students
Reading scores among high-performing students
Girls’ and boys’ reading performance since 2000
Performance in mathematics since 2003
Performance in science since 2006
2. Overcoming Social Background
Does socio-economic background affect reading performance?
Can disadvantaged students defy the odds against them?
How do students from single-parent families perform in reading?
How do students with an immigrant background perform in reading?
Does where a student lives affect his or her reading performance?
How equitably are school resources distributed?
Trends
Socio-economic background and reading performance
Relative performance of students from immigrant backgrounds
3. Learning to Learn
Are students who enjoy reading better readers?
What kinds of reading are associated with being a good reader?
Do boys and girls have different reading habits?
What learning strategies help students perform better?
Trends
Reading for enjoyment
Reading for enjoyment, by gender and background
4. What Makes a School Successful?
Does selecting and grouping students affect reading performance?
How do education systems and schools select and group students?
Does school governance affect students’ reading performance?
How are schools governed in different countries?
How do countries/economies allocate educational resources?
Do students perform better in more disciplined schools?
How favourable is the learning climate in schools?
Trends
Teacher-student relations
Disciplinary climate during lessons