The Pisa study is here, with worrying results. Germany’s 15-year-olds have performed worse than ever before. Why this is and which countries are leaders.
For the first time since the corona pandemic, Germany has received a new PISA certificate – and the result is devastating. German students performed worse than ever before in the international performance study Pisa in 2022.
How did Germany do exactly?
In reading as well as in mathematics and natural sciences, these are the lowest values ever measured for Germany as part of Pisa. German students suffered particularly badly in mathematics. They achieved a score of 475, compared to 500 in the previous study published in 2019. They achieved 480 in reading (2019: 498) and 492 in science (2019: 503).
And what about the other countries?
Internationally, average performance has also fallen drastically. There has been an unprecedented decline in performance this cycle, the report said. “Compared to 2018, average performance in OECD countries fell by 10 points in reading and almost 15 points in mathematics.”
According to the OECD, this decline is particularly pronounced in a handful of countries – including Germany. For example, Poland, Norway, Iceland and Germany recorded a decline of 25 or more points in mathematics between 2018 and 2022. “The dramatic decline in math and reading scores suggests a negative shock affecting many countries simultaneously,” the paper says.
Which countries are leading the way?
According to the scientists, young people in Singapore, Japan and Korea have, on average, the highest skills in mathematics. Singapore, Ireland, Japan, Korea and Estonia are at the top in reading. In the natural sciences, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Estonia and Canada achieved the best results.
What other special features of the German results?
The researchers warned that in Germany, more than in other countries, origin still determines academic performance. If children start with poorer conditions, this often continues throughout their school career, said study leader Doris Lewalter, educational researcher at the Technical University of Munich and chairwoman of the Center for International Comparative Education Studies.
What is the Pisa study anyway?
The Pisa study is the largest international school performance comparison study. The skills of 15-year-old young people in reading, mathematics and natural sciences are recorded. Since 2000 it has been carried out every three years. This time the focus was on mathematical skills.
Who is taking part in the study?
81 countries and more than 600,000 young people worldwide took part in the most recent survey in 2022. The representative sample for Germany includes around 13,000 students aged 15 in all school types.
How does the study work?
The tests for the Pisa study now take place primarily on computers. The students have to click through various tasks. USB sticks are distributed by testers to schools, where students then use computers to solve reading, math and science tasks. The test lasts approximately two hours and consists primarily of multiple-choice questions in which students must choose from given answer options. In addition, students, teachers, school administrators and parents answered questions about the socio-economic background, learning times and learning environment, computer use and lesson design as well as the young people’s attitudes and expectations.
Why do PISA studies play a big role?
According to the OECD, what is unique about this study is its global reach and regularity. Because the survey takes place every three years, participating countries can monitor their progress in implementing key learning objectives. In Germany, the results of the first survey in 2001 even caused the big “Pisa shock”.
What was the “Pisa shock”?
In the first comparative study, German 15-year-olds performed poorly, and there was also a shamefully close connection between social background and educational opportunities in the Pisa report card. This sparked a heated education debate. After that, the results in the Pisa studies steadily increased, but since 2016 the values have been falling again.
Why are the values so bad this time?
The authors of the study cite, among other things, the corona pandemic as one cause. The results show that school closures had a negative effect on skill acquisition.
In Germany, distance learning was done less with digital media and more with materials sent to young people than the OECD average. However, the evaluation of the international data shows that there is no systematic connection between the duration of school closures and declines in performance between 2018 and 2022.
Are there any other reasons?
Another possible factor is a lack of language skills. “A central reason is certainly that we have still not managed to consistently ensure early language support for everyone who needs it,” said study director Lewalter. “If we have students with an immigrant background, we cannot assume that they will already have mastered the German educational language when they come to Germany.”
What are the reactions to the debacle?
The Education and Training Union (GEW) called for a master plan to combat educational poverty and social injustice. “The PISA results are very problematic for the life and career opportunities of many students and are shameful for school policy,” said Anja Bensinger-Stolze, GEW board member. “Germany has had both a performance and a blatant justice problem for decades.”
Employer President Rainer Dulger reminded that the current students are the trainees and employees of tomorrow. “These minds are the building material of our future and the engine of our prosperity,” he said. “If those responsible do not act immediately, the loss of competence will no longer be able to be made up for. We need an almost revolutionary new beginning in our education system.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
