OECD Studies and the Case of PISA, PIAAC, and TALIS

Abstract

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) works with governments, policy makers, and citizens, to establish evidence-based international standards and find solutions to a range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. The organization provides a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting. The OECD’s Directorate for Education and Skills conducts various international large-scale comparative studies in the field of education. These include the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), and the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). These studies share commonalities in their overarching objectives, governance structures, and survey designs and methods. In contrast, they differ in their target populations, countries/economies participating in the studies, types of instruments, and survey periodicities. Targeting different populations, the three studies paint a holistic picture of the state of education in participating countries. Stakeholders have opportunities to fully access and apply the studies’ results. OECD studies in education maintain relevancy and response to policy needs through constant evolution and expansion while remaining rigorous and robust in survey design, data collection, and data analysis.KeywordsLarge-scale surveyStudent assessmentAdult literacyTeacher surveyInternational comparison