ACER eNews


Australian students perform well in mathematical literacy The findings from the latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) cycle of testing were released on 7 December. ACER led the consortium that conducted PISA internationally and also implemented the assessment within Australia. ACER released a report detailing Australia's results in PISA 2003. Fifteen-year-old students in 41 countries were assessed in mathematical, reading and scientific literacy as well as problem solving. The Australian component of PISA 2003 involved a randomly selected sample of just over 12 500 students from 321 schools from all states and territories and school sectors. The study found that Australia's results were above the OECD average in each of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy as well as in problem solving and in each of four mathematical literacy subscales: quantity, space and shape, change and relationships and uncertainty. Four countries (Hong Kong-China, Finland, Korea and the Netherlands) performed significantly better than Australia in mathematical literacy. The spread of scores between Australia's highest and lowest achieving students was less than the OECD average . In reading literacy only Finland achieved significantly better results than Australia. Three countries (Finland, Japan and Korea) outperformed Australia in scientific literacy. ACER chief executive Professor Geoff Masters said the results were largely positive for Australia although there are some areas of concern. "Australia's PISA results for mathematical literacy are encouraging. Australia's results are significantly higher than the OECD average and similar to or higher than most other countries with which we would usually compare ourselves." Professor Masters cautioned that the lower level of performance by Australia's Indigenous students continues to be a concern. "While some Indigenous students performed well in PISA mathematical literacy, this was a very small proportion of the overall sample and a much greater proportion was performing at the lower proficiency levels," he said. "While there are no significant gender differences overall in mathematical literacy, boys tend to be over-represented in the upper levels of achievement while girls appear to be less engaged, more anxious and less confident in mathematics than boys." Further information is available in the full Australian report, Facing the future: A focus on mathematical literacy among Australian 15-year-old students in PISA 2003, by Sue Thomson, John Cresswell and Lisa De Bortoli. The report is available for download from the ACER website. Print copies can be purchased from ACER Press (phone 03 9277 5447 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)). The full international report is available from the OECD website at www.pisa.oecd.org. « Back to eNews
Copyright © Australian Council for Educational Research 2013 All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Copyright Act 1968 of Australia and subsequent amendments, no part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Please address any requests to reproduce information to communications@acer.edu.au Subscribe Unsubscribe Australian Council for Educational Research Private Bag 55, Camberwell, Victoria Australia 3124 Tel: + 61 3 9277 5555 Fax: + 61 3 9277 5500 Web: www.acer.edu.au

The findings from the latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) cycle of testing were released on 7 December.

ACER led the consortium that conducted PISA internationally and also implemented the assessment within Australia. ACER released a report detailing Australia's results in PISA 2003.

Fifteen-year-old students in 41 countries were assessed in mathematical, reading and scientific literacy as well as problem solving. The Australian component of PISA 2003 involved a randomly selected sample of just over 12 500 students from 321 schools from all states and territories and school sectors.

The study found that Australia's results were above the OECD average in each of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy as well as in problem solving and in each of four mathematical literacy subscales: quantity, space and shape, change and relationships and uncertainty.

Four countries (Hong Kong-China, Finland, Korea and the Netherlands) performed significantly better than Australia in mathematical literacy.

The spread of scores between Australia's highest and lowest achieving students was less than the OECD average .

In reading literacy only Finland achieved significantly better results than Australia. Three countries (Finland, Japan and Korea) outperformed Australia in scientific literacy.

ACER chief executive Professor Geoff Masters said the results were largely positive for Australia although there are some areas of concern.

"Australia's PISA results for mathematical literacy are encouraging. Australia's results are significantly higher than the OECD average and similar to or higher than most other countries with which we would usually compare ourselves."

Professor Masters cautioned that the lower level of performance by Australia's Indigenous students continues to be a concern.

"While some Indigenous students performed well in PISA mathematical literacy, this was a very small proportion of the overall sample and a much greater proportion was performing at the lower proficiency levels," he said.

"While there are no significant gender differences overall in mathematical literacy, boys tend to be over-represented in the upper levels of achievement while girls appear to be less engaged, more anxious and less confident in mathematics than boys."

Further information is available in the full Australian report, Facing the future: A focus on mathematical literacy among Australian 15-year-old students in PISA 2003, by Sue Thomson, John Cresswell and Lisa De Bortoli. The report is available for download from the ACER website. Print copies can be purchased from ACER Press (phone 03 9277 5447 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).

The full international report is available from the OECD website at www.pisa.oecd.org.

Australian students perform well in mathematical literacy