Effects of international assessments in education – a multidisciplinary review

Abstract

Advanced data analysis techniques, available and encompassing data, and facilitated global exchange of information have led to a steady growth of assessments that are used to make informed policy decisions. In line with this general trend, international assessments in education have also become a global and accepted phenomenon. International education assessments have some grave and far-reaching implications for the organization and structure of national education systems. Educational reform as a direct response to results of international assessments can be observed in many countries. Most of the recent literature on the effects of assessment projects looks only at the level of formal policies, without taking mechanisms and effects on actual practices and outcomes into account. This is one of the starting points for this special issue on the effects of international assessments in education. The contributions of this special issue broaden the perspective for a better understanding of the phenomenon of international education assessments. Taken together, the issue demonstrates that international assessments inform how education and educational performance are framed today. The papers in this issue also show that the impact of international assessments manifests itself in formal and direct ‘top-down’ ways as well as in more subtle, hidden ‘roundabout’ ways