International comparisons of student attainment: some issues arising from the PISA study

Abstract

This paper raises some methodological concerns about the conduct, analysis and interpretation of results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study. While in many respects PISA represents an advance on previous attempts at international comparative assessment studies, it retains certain problematic aspects. The article comments on the restricted nature of the data modelling and analysis, and the resulting interpretations. It points to certain features of the results that raise questions about the adequacy of the data and it stresses the failure to introduce a longitudinal component. The paper makes suggestions for ways in which such studies can be improved.