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40 views5 pages

Unit 6 Written Assignment

Uploaded by

Olaniyi Isaac
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© © All Rights Reserved
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The Effect of PISA on Japan Education Policy

Department of Education, University of the People

EDUC 5440: Assessment and Evaluation

Dr. Aisha Siddiqa

July 27, 2022


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Introduction

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment

of reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy that began in 2000. This assessment was

created as a way to measure and compare the academic achievement of 15-year-olds, the

general maximum age of compulsory education, in the OECD as well as other participating

countries, and includes a questionnaire to observe the classroom and behavioral factors that can

impact educational outcomes (Baird, et al, 2011, p. 3). The results of this assessment and the

rankings compared to other countries have gained the interest of governments and policy-

makers and influenced educational reforms in many countries. However, the test has also been

met with criticism as some stakeholders fear that the results will lead to more focus on

‘teaching to the test’ and de-emphasis on subjects not covered by the test, among other possible

negative outcomes (OECD and PISA tests are damaging education worldwide-academics,

2014).

Effects on educational policy in Japan

In Japan, “PISA shock” has spurred changes in educational policy and curricular reform. In

reaction to the decline in overall scores and rankings in reading and math on the PISA between

2000 and 2003 (Mito, 2019), the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) made arguably

positive changes to the national curriculum, as well as introduced a national standardized exam

to evaluate the curriculum. In 2008 and 2009, MEXT increased instructional time by 10% and

increased the emphasis on thinking skills as opposed to the traditional rote learning of the past
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(Yamanaka & Suzuki, 2020, p. 92). Following another downward shift in PISA reading scores

in 2015 and 2018, Japan made yet another reform in 2020 and 2022 (p. 93) to improve literacy

by enriching language arts instruction to incorporate more subjective, interactive, and deep

learning, as well as introducing inquiry-based studies and increasing ICT in the classroom

(National Institute for Educational Policy Research, 2019). In 2007, MEXT introduced the

National Assessment of Academic Ability, a standardized test “enabling the government to

examine the progress of reforms in curricula and the compulsory education system”

(Yamanaka & Suzuki, 2020, p. 95). Overall it can be said that PISA has led to an improvement

in instruction and the curriculum as well as increased accountability to the public in Japan.

However, as criticized by numerous educators in the article OECD and PISA tests are

damaging education worldwide-academics (2014) in The Guardian, educational reform can

take years to show its effectiveness, increases in standardized testing can shift focus onto a

narrow range of subjects, and place value on only the economic purpose of education. The

haste with which Japan has made changes should be viewed through a cautionary lens. The

“yutori education” policy of the 1980s, which had decreased the time spent on math, science,

and language by 15%, faced criticism in light of the economic recession that created a 20-year

lull in the employment of the receiving generation, and the public was quick to use the PISA

scores as proof of the curriculum’s ineffectiveness and a decrease in academic achievement and

global competitiveness (Yamanaka & Suzuki, 2020, p. 91). Based on the educator precautions

in the Guardian, the increased instructional time and increased focus on national high-stakes
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testing may have yet to prove effective and healthy for students over the long run, despite the

uptick in recent PISA scores.

Conclusion

The introduction of PISA and the focus on scores and rankings among OECD countries can

instigate governments and stakeholders to make changes in their educational policies. The

overall reaction by the public to PISA scores and ranking has led to the ministry of education in

Japan making policy changes that reflect modern educational philosophy as well as increasing

ICT. However, it’s also relevant that MEXT stays cautious of the tendency of standardized tests

to begin to dictate curriculum and instruction. Otherwise, PISA has proven to be a powerful

motivator of positive policy change in Japan.


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References

Baird, J., Isaacs, T., Johnson, S., Stobart, G., Yu, G., Sprague, T., & Daugherty, R. (2011, May).

Policy effects of PISA. Oxford University Centre for Educational

Assessment. http://oucea.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/

2011/10/Policy-Effects-of-PISA-OUCEA.pdf

Mito, K. (2019, December 3). Japanese 15-year-olds rank high in math, sciences, but reading

down: Pisa exam. The Mainichi.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191203/p2a/00m/0na/014000c

National Institute for Educational Policy Research. (2019, December 3). Key Features of

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2018 (PISA 2018). NIER.

https://www.nier.go.jp/kokusai/pisa/pdf/2018/01_point-eng.pdf

OECD and PISA tests are damaging education worldwide-academics. (2014).

Theguardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/06/oecd-pisa-tests-

damaging-education-academics

Yamanaka, S., & Suzuki, K. H. (2020). Japanese education reform towards twenty-first century

education. Audacious Education Purposes, 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-

41882-3_4

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