Why Did Portugal Enter PISA? Divergent Political Views, the National Agenda and the OECD Push

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to reexamine the decision-making process on Portugal’s entry into PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). The analysis indicates that the decision, which was not unanimous among the government members with responsibilities in the education field, was made in a context of normative emulation, with the goal of strengthening a specific direction of the national educational agenda.