The Globalisation of Assessment in the 20th Century

Abstract

This paper describes the considerable increase in the 1990s in the number of countries involved in national and international assessments of the achievements of pupils in their education systems. While participation in international comparative studies is largely confined to industrialised countries, many developing countries have carried out national assessments in the last 10 years. Growth in the use of assessment at the system level in the context of factors associated with globalisation (e.g. a utilitarian view of education, the need to develop human capital, concern for performance/results and the use of standard procedures and advanced technology) is considered.