110 likes | 236 Views
TURNING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE – LEARNING FROM INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS Belgrade 16. and17. of June 2011. Case of Slovenia. No doubt……………………….
E N D
TURNING RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE – LEARNING FROM INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONSBelgrade 16. and17. of June 2011 Case of Slovenia Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
No doubt……………………….. • PISA self-promotion: “results of PISA have a high degree of validity and reliability and can significantly improve understanding of the outcomes of education” (PISA, 2006a, p. 17). • Even more: “comparative assessments” of education should be at the same time an “essential tool for educational improvement” (Schleicher, 2007, p. 356—italics S.G.) Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
No need to guess………….…….. • In societies aiming at the RISK reduction for the population, hazard of policy measures without proper evidence is beyond imagination (Dean, 2010; Foucault, 2007). • Leaving aside their self-promotion: comparative surveys of both organizations (IEA and the OECD) are valuable and aiming to support nation states in their endeavor to avoid the danger of the failure of educational policy. Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Slovenia after the independence……….. • IEA (TIMSS, PIRLS ), and after 2003 also PISA, are for long time our source of comparative evidence in decission making • Slovenia after the independence in 1991 • Numerous reforms (transition from socialism to representative democracy) • Education one of the priority areas • Education as national identity building • Education as competitive strength Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Reform aiming at comparable quality……………………. • TIMSS – reading results in 1991 (reading 3th grade) • Slovenia 458 • Participating countries average – 487 • -29 – clearly not good (possible excuses) • Aiming at knowledge society • Comparable results • Comparable investment • Comparable arrangements Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
At the subject level………...... • Measures: in terms of mother tongue: • Changes in curricula • Teachers owned • In-service teachers training – study groups • Privileged work load (22:20 and 20:18) • New textbooks Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Measures at the systemic level…….. • At systemic level : combination of internal and external examination inside primary education and secondary education • External examination – Matura (baccalaureate) • Strong rigorous national center • Good for fairness • Good for the teachers • Bad for new middle class? • Tensions and struggles (inside middle class) • The aim of both: Quality • – national (between teachers and schools) and • international – comparing with the nations Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Results in reading ………………………. • 1991- 458: -29 points • Improving ………. • 200 -493: -7 points • 2006 – 522: +22 – points. Reaction: good but not yet good enough • Going down…………. • 2009 (483/494 – (-11) – catastrophe???? • Immediate reaction – boys reading skills • BOYS: 456; GIRLS:511 (55) • Oversimplified conclusions: • Supported by OECD even: “Slovenia appears to spend too much on basic education and too little on tertiary education” (OECD 2011, 63) (HE:1.4 – average OECD spending) Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Discussion sponsored by OECD report on Slovenia……… • Example of wrong approach • Reading 483 – 16th result in the EU participating countries(women 11th result) • Math 501 - 7th result in the EU participating countries • Science 512 - 6th result in the EU participating countries Important differences: 29 points • Croatia: 476(Reading); 460(Math); 486(Science) – dif: 26 points Serbia: 442(Reading); 442(Math); 443(Science) – dif: 1point Poland: 500(Reading); 495(Math);508(Science) – dif: 13 points Finland: 536(Reading); 541(Math); 554(Science) – dif: 18 points OECD: 494(Reading); 496(Math); 501(Science) – dif: 7 points Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Messages……………… • Participate • Analyze – don’t use money to participate only • Mind: complexity and don’t be to hasty in following “policy conclusions” • In the case of Slovenia: • Inequality inside the cohort – system is weak in reducing the influence of SES, gender, ethnic background • Yet its weakness is not important between school differences (weak PISA conceptualization and subsequent calculations) • Two instead of three types of differentiation • Big inter-regional differences • To big gender differences – not only in reading Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana
Evidence, conceptualization, policy, politics......... • Evidence necessary but not enough • Conceptualize before and after data gathering • Conceptualize policy as stake-holders owned • Don’t underestimate political reality of the country • In the circles of researchers and academia we tend to do so at least as often as politicians tend to “know it” without evidence…. Slavko Gaber-CEPS-University of Ljubljana