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 does not only assess 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 world’s most comprehensive international student assessment programs, offering participating countries the opportunity to compare their education systems with one another.

PISA was first implemented in 2000 and has been repeated every three years since then. The program’s aim is to measure not merely students’ ability to recall information but their capacity to apply knowledge in problem solving, analysis and real-life contexts. PISA stands out for its outcomes-oriented approach to education and its capacity for international comparison. However, this international standard approach has been criticized by some experts for insufficiently taking into account 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 regular and rankings showed limited progress in some areas. Over time, PISA has enhanced its capacity to provide comparable educational data by improving its measurement tools, question types and analytical methods. In addition to student achievement, variables such as social and economic background, learning motivation and education policies are also examined. On the other hand, PISA’s adoption of a narrow quantitative assessment approach has highlighted 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】

Today, PISA is recognized as one of the OECD’s key tools for guiding education policy. Participating countries use PISA data to plan educational reforms, curriculum improvements and measures to enhance equity in education. At the same time, when implementing PISA results, consideration of the national context, cultural differences and educational diversity enables a more accurate interpretation of the program’s data.

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

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

Reading Literacy:

This domain measures students’ ability to understand, interpret, extract information and think critically about written texts. Reading literacy encompasses not only accurate reading of texts but also the ability to apply information derived from texts to everyday 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 may create disadvantages for students in interpreting texts, requiring contextual interpretation of measurements in international comparisons.^【3】

Mathematics Literacy:

Mathematics literacy measures 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 decisions and problems encountered in daily life. However, some experts have criticized the assessments as too narrow and insufficiently reflective of 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’ ability to engage in scientific reasoning, formulate hypotheses, interpret experimental results and propose scientific solutions to environmental or technological problems. 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 existing knowledge and skills to new and unfamiliar situations. This criterion reveals students’ capacity for flexible thinking, logical reasoning and creative problem solving.
• Financial Literacy: Financial literacy measures students’ ability to understand basic concepts related to money, budgeting, investment and economic decisions, to make sound choices in daily life and to manage resources effectively. 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 narrow and limited in capturing students’ broader competencies.

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 assessments 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 data-driven development of education policies. Additionally, achievement gaps among students from different socio-economic backgrounds are analyzed, allowing for the planning of measures to enhance equity and quality in education.

Cultural and Linguistic Differences:

When PISA assessments are administered in 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 contextual factors. 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 assessment domains. Although additional domains such as problem solving and financial literacy are measured in some cycles, the assessment does not comprehensively evaluate students’ social, emotional and creative competencies. This limitation may result in an incomplete picture of students’ full range of skills 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 their lack of alignment with the test format, leading to the neglect of national context. Furthermore, different curricular structures and teaching styles can influence how students prepare for PISA.^【8】

Media and Political Influences:

PISA results are frequently discussed in national education policy and media agendas. This can lead to the results being used more as subjects of political debate than as tools for scientific analysis. Measuring educational performance through a single test may generate misperceptions among the public and policymakers.^【9】

Socioeconomic Impact on Performance:

Students’ family structure, income level and social environment directly influence PISA performance. Rankings that do not account for these factors may misleadingly represent 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 measurement approach may not fully reflect individual learning processes and diverse competencies. Since most tests are multiple-choice or short-answer format, 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 the tendency to evaluate countries’ educational success on a single scale.^【11】

Use in Policy and Reform:

Using PISA results as a central tool for shaping education policy can sometimes lead to the neglect of national context and educational diversity. This necessitates careful consideration in how education reforms are implemented and how decision-makers interpret the data. Reforms must be planned not solely based on rankings but by taking into account the unique needs and cultural context of the education system.^【12】