The power and paradoxes of PISA: Should Inquiry-Based Science Education be sacrificed to climb on the rankings?

Abstract

Since publication of the first PISA results in 2001, the PISA scores have become a kind of global “gold standard” for educational quality. Climbing on the international PISA rankings have become a high priority for national educational policies world-wide, also in the Nordic countries. This article first explores why and how the OECD, with PISA as the main instrument, has emerged as the key defining organization for educational quality and policy. Some of the underlying assumptions, ideologies and values are critiqued. Secondly, the article draws attention to PISA findings that are surprising, unexpected and problematic. The most problematic finding for science education is that PISA-scores correlate negatively with nearly all aspects of inquiry-based science teaching (IBSE), the kind of teaching that is recommended by scientists as well as science educators.

The Efficacy of Inquiry-Based Instruction in Science: a Comparative Analysis of Six Countries Using PISA 2015

“…To be clear, we do not advocate one instructional approach over others in teaching and learning science. Inquiry is currently a much-favoured pedagogy and has been shown effective in supporting students' engagement in science (McConney, et al 2014;Sjøberg 2018). Additionally, undertaking and developing experimental work are important and can support students' skill acquisition, learning, and interest in science (Sjøberg 2018).…”

“…Inquiry is currently a much-favoured pedagogy and has been shown effective in supporting students' engagement in science (McConney, et al 2014;Sjøberg 2018). Additionally, undertaking and developing experimental work are important and can support students' skill acquisition, learning, and interest in science (Sjøberg 2018). Further, with appropriate guidance from the teacher, inquiry-based instruction has been shown to support students' science achievement (Minner et al 2010).…”

Forms of inquiry-based science instruction and their relations with learning outcomes: evidence from high and low-performing education systems

“…Studies based on international large-scale assessments (ILSA), however, often indicate inquiry to be associated with lower science achievement (Cairns & Areepattamannil, 2017;Chi, Liu, Wang, & Won Han, 2018;Grabau & Ma, 2017). Given the influence which ILSA can have on educational policy (Grek, 2009), such findings have raised concerns among advocates of inquiry-based instruction in science (Sjøberg, 2018;Zhang, 2016).…”

Forms of inquiry-based science instruction and their relations with learning outcomes: Evidence from high and low-performing education systems

“…& Won Han, 2018; Grabau & Ma, 2017). Given the influence which ILSA can have on educational policy (Grek, 2009), such findings have raised concerns among advocates of inquiry-based instruction in science (Sjøberg, 2018;Zhang, 2016).…”