Schedule

Welcome and Introduction. Barry Sheerman MP, Chairman

PISA and Education Policy. Prof. Paul Morris UCL Institute of Education
International tests of pupil achievement, such as PISA and TIMMS, now exert a powerful influence on education policy around the world as they are used to both identify problems and solutions. This presentation identifies the logic and assumptions which underlie this influence.

What drives East Asian success in PISA? Dr John Jerrim UCL Institute of Education
Evidence is presented from two studies which examined the reasons for East Asian success in PISA. The first discusses the experience of second generation East Asian immigrants in Australia, highlighting the importance of culture and context. The second refers to results from a recent Randomised Controlled Trial, where East Asian teaching methods were implemented within a selection of England’s schools.

PISA: perspectives from the Far East  Dr Christine Han UCL Institute of Education and Katherine Forestier HKIEd
The presentation will analyse the ways in which PISA is viewed in Hong Kong and Singapore, and how the results are interpreted and used.  It will look at the approach to education generally, and education reform specifically, including the use of policy ‘borrowing’.  It will also highlight the possible lessons from Hong Kong and Singapore that have so far been overlooked by policymakers in England.

Reading for pleasure and reading attainment: The difficult route from data to policy prescriptions. Prof Gemma Moss, University of Bristol
This presentation will consider how the relationship between reading for pleasure and reading attainment has been explored through analysis of the PISA dataset. The limitations as well as potential of the dataset to generate useful policy advice will be considered by tracking back how measures of motivation to read were constructed, showing why and how any policy prescriptions that arise from the data need to be handled with care.

Advocacy and persuasion: the construction of ‘best practice’ from PISA data. Euan Auld UCL Institute of Education
This paper explores how policy advocates such as McKinsey & Company and Pearson use PISA data to construct ‘best practice’ claims in education. The analysis centres on problems associated with complexity and causality in the study of social systems, and identifies the range of strategies advocates use to circumvent these problems and to promote reforms. Finally, it highlights some of the specific policy interventions advocated.

If you are interested in attending, please contact: Christine Han at IOE:   christine.han@ioe.ac.uk