International Student Assessment Program (PISA)

PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is an evaluation program conducted by the OECD that measures the competencies of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science at an international level. The program not only assesses student performance but also provides data to inform the development of policies and educational reforms by revealing the strengths and weaknesses of education systems. PISA is one of the most comprehensive international student assessment programs in the world, offering participating countries the opportunity to compare their education systems with one another.

History and Development

PISA was first implemented in 2000 and has been repeated every three years since then. Its purpose is to assess not merely students’ ability to recall information but their capacity to apply knowledge to problem solving, analysis, and real-life contexts. PISA stands out for its outcome-focused approach to education and its provision of international comparability. However, this international standard approach has been criticized by some experts for failing to adequately consider the unique historical, cultural, and social contexts of national education systems and for potentially limiting educational diversity.

2000: The first PISA assessment was conducted; Türkiye did not participate.

2003: Türkiye participated in PISA for the first time and ranked among the lowest in mathematics, science, and reading among the 41 participating countries. These results clearly revealed the challenges Türkiye faced in meeting international educational standards.

2006–2022: Türkiye’s participation became consistent, with limited progress in some areas. Over time, PISA has improved its assessment tools, question types, and analytical methods to enhance its capacity to provide comparable educational data. In addition to student achievement, variables such as socioeconomic background, learning motivation, and education policies are also examined. On the other hand, PISA’s adoption of a narrow quantitative assessment approach highlights the limitations of using its data as the sole guide for education policy. Therefore, the interpretation of results and the planning of reforms must take into account the national context and educational diversity.^【1】

PISA is now recognized as one of the key tools guiding OECD education policies. Participating countries use PISA data to plan educational reforms, curricula, and measures to promote equity in education. However, when implementing PISA results, considering the national context, cultural differences, and educational diversity enables a more accurate and balanced interpretation of the program’s data.

Assessment Criteria

PISA focuses on measuring students’ ability to use knowledge and solve problems in real-life situations. The program aims to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills not only at the level of recall but also at the levels of analysis, interpretation, and application. Nevertheless, some criticisms argue that PISA’s narrow measurement approach may fail to fully reflect students’ social, emotional, and creative skills.

Student competencies are primarily assessed across three core domains.^【2】

Reading Literacy:

This domain measures students’ ability to understand, interpret, extract information from, and critically analyze written texts. Reading literacy encompasses not only accurate reading but also the ability to apply information from texts to everyday life problems and decision-making processes. For example, students are expected to comprehend a news article or follow a set of instructions. However, linguistic and cultural differences can create disadvantages in interpreting texts, requiring contextual interpretation of results in international comparisons.^【3】

Mathematics Literacy:

Mathematics literacy assesses students’ ability to apply mathematical concepts and methods to real-life problems. This includes using numbers and units of measurement, performing geometric and statistical analyses, engaging in logical reasoning, and generating solutions. PISA views mathematics not merely as rules learned in school but as a tool for solving everyday decisions and problems. However, some experts criticize the assessments as being too narrow and insufficiently capturing diverse forms of mathematical thinking.^【4】

Science Literacy:

Science literacy aims to ensure that students understand and apply scientific concepts, knowledge, and methods. This domain includes students’ abilities in scientific reasoning, formulating hypotheses, interpreting experimental results, and proposing scientific solutions to environmental or technological issues. PISA measures how students use learned knowledge through experimentation and observation. However, due to the limited number of test items, this domain may not fully reflect students’ broader scientific competencies.^【5】

Additional Domains:

• Problem Solving: Evaluates students’ ability to develop appropriate strategies and reach solutions by applying their knowledge and skills to new and unfamiliar situations. This criterion reveals students’ capacity for flexible thinking, logical reasoning, and creative problem solving.
• Financial Literacy: Measures students’ understanding of basic concepts related to money, budgeting, investment, and economic decision-making, as well as their ability to make sound choices and manage resources effectively in daily life. This domain also reveals students’ level of economic awareness and responsibility.

Overall, while PISA’s assessment domains provide a strong tool for comparative evaluation of students’ core academic competencies, some criticisms highlight that the program’s scope is limited and insufficient in assessing students’ broader range of skills.

Türkiye’s Academic History and PISA Performance (2000–2022)

PISA is an international assessment program that measures the competencies of 15-year-old students in mathematics, science, and reading. Türkiye first participated in the program in 2003 and has consistently taken part in all subsequent PISA cycles since then.

^{(OECD, 2018; MEB, 2019; Erdem, 2020).}

PISA results enable the identification of strengths and weaknesses in Türkiye’s education system, support the improvement of curricula, and facilitate the evidence-based development of education policies. Additionally, achievement gaps among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds are analyzed, allowing for the planning of measures to enhance equity and quality in education.

Criticisms

Cultural and Linguistic Differences:

When PISA assessments are administered across different countries, students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds can affect the comparability of results. Text-based questions, particularly in reading literacy, may place students at a disadvantage due to linguistic and cultural context. This can lead to lower scores for some countries and limit the interpretability of international comparisons.^【6】

Narrow Focus of the Assessment:

PISA takes mathematics, science, and reading literacy as its core domains. Although additional domains such as problem solving and financial literacy are assessed in some cycles, the test does not comprehensively evaluate students’ social, emotional, and creative skills. This limitation may result in an incomplete picture of student competencies and lead to inadequate evaluations in education policy.^【7】

Diversity of National Education Systems:

PISA’s assessment model assumes a standardized curriculum and educational process. However, significant differences exist among countries in education policies, subject content, and teaching methods. As a result, some countries’ performance may appear low due to poor alignment with the test format, leading to the neglect of national context. Furthermore, differing curricula and teaching styles can influence how students prepare for PISA.^【8】

Media and Political Influences:

PISA results are frequently debated in national education policies and media agendas. This can lead to the results being treated more as political topics than as scientific analyses. Measuring educational performance through a single test can create misconceptions among the public and policymakers.^【9】

Socioeconomic Impact on Performance:

Students’ family structure, income level, and social environment directly affect PISA performance. Rankings that do not account for these factors can misrepresent international educational achievement. Socioeconomic disparities, particularly, suppress the performance of low-income students and make educational inequality more visible.^【10】

Methodological and Analytical Limitations:

PISA’s quantitative and standardized approach may not fully reflect individual learning processes or diverse competencies. Since most test items are multiple-choice or short-answer, students’ deep thinking, creative problem solving, and critical analysis skills may not be adequately measured. Additionally, some data analysis methods and ranking criteria may encourage evaluating countries’ educational success on a single scale.^【11】

Use in Policy and Reform:

Using PISA results as a central tool to shape education policy can sometimes lead to the neglect of national context and educational diversity. This requires careful consideration when implementing reforms and interpreting data. Reforms should be planned not solely based on rankings but by taking into account the unique needs and cultural context of the education system.^【12】