Fifteen years looking at the mirror: On the presence of PISA in education policy processes (Portugal, 2000‐2016)

Abstract

This article describes and discusses what happens when knowledge for policy generated within PISA is received by its target audience: what have the Portuguese policy actors been doing with PISA data and analysis when they consider, express and justify their choices? Drawing on previous and current studies, using interview materials and formal and informal policy documents, as well as texts published in the written press, the article analyses two main phenomena related to the reception of PISA and how this has evolved between 2001 and 2012 in Portugal: the consolidation of PISA's credibility as a source for policy processes and texts; the emergence of new actors and modes of intervention in the production of knowledge for national policy, drawing on PISA. Finally, it presents an analysis of the reception of PISA 2015 in the Portuguese media, focusing on the interventions by political actors in the Portuguese daily and weekly written press. Two main elements emerge from our content analysis as the main common elements of that reception: the consecration of PISA's credibility; and the practices of qualification and disqualification of educational policies and perspectives. The article concludes by emphasising the regulatory role of PISA in Portuguese policy processes and the relevant contribution played by the politics of reception in legitimising this role.

Portugal: The PISA Effects on Education

“…While IAEP II went relatively unnoticed, TIMSS 1995 was the first large scale comparative assessment that showed Portuguese students considerably lagging behind similar age peers from the 26 countries who sampled 4 th and 8 th -grade students. At that time these very poor results were dismissed because policymakers felt that TIMSS was not a valid measure of Portugal's students' specific knowledge and skills that were not aligned with the TIMSS curricula framework (Barroso 2010;Carvalho et al 2017). Despite the TIMSS 1995 insights being unfavorably received, the 1995 large scale assessment set the seed to assessment policy changes and mathematics and science curricular reforms.…”

“…As an OECD member, Portugal participated in the first edition of PISA (2000) all the others that followed. In the words of the minister of Education Nuno Crato, in office from 2012 to 2015, PISA in Portugal is mainly "seen as a mirror" reflecting where the country stands in comparison to other countries in the PISA picture (Carvalho et al 2017) but has nevertheless allowed education policymakers to propose evidence-based policies changes as follows.…”

The contribution of PISA to the convergence of education policies in Europe

“…For example, in this issue of the European Journal of Education , one can read an analysis of the comparative reception by the media and the Ministers of Education in England and in Norway (Hopfenbeck & Gorgen, ). Another example of such an approach in this issue is given in the article on Portugal (Carvalho, Costa & Gonçalves, ). A. Tiana Ferrer, whilst mentioning the reception of PISA by the media in Spain, insists more on its impact in the political discourse and analyses to what extent some major education reforms can be related to some PISA results and OECD recommendations (Tiana Ferrer, ).…”

“…(Hopfenbeck & Gorgen, 2017). Another example of such an approach in this issue is given in the article on Portugal (Carvalho, Costa & Gonçalves, 2017). A. Tiana Ferrer, whilst mentioning the reception of PISA by the media in Spain, insists more on its impact in the political discourse and analyses to what extent some major education reforms can be related to some PISA results and OECD recommendations (Tiana Ferrer, 2017).…”

Externalisations in the Portuguese parliament: analysing power struggles and (de-)legitimation with Multiple Streams Approach

“…They mainly study the influences and uses of PISA (e.g. Afonso and Costa 2009;Costa 2011;Lemos and Serrão 2015;Carvalho, Costa, and Gonçalves 2017) or the OECD (e.g. Lemos 2014;Teodoro 2019).…”