Highest Ranking Countries Research Articles

Local autonomy around the world: the updated and extended Local Autonomy Index (LAI 2.0)

ABSTRACT This paper presents an extension and update of the Local Autonomy Index (LAI) under the name LAI 2.0. It applies the comprehensive methodology of the LAI 1.0 to 57 countries over 30 years (1990–2020), including almost all EU, CoE and OECD member states. Looking at the overall results, over thirty years, the LAI has increased around 7–8%, albeit less important in the most recent period of 2015–2020. The biggest increase is to be found in the Central and Eastern European countries. Conversely, some countries (e.g. Hungary and Belarus) have seen a decrease in local autonomy. The highest ranking countries include the Nordic countries and Switzerland, whereas South-Eastern European countries generally score the lowest. We view the LAI as a springboard to academics and policymakers for a more comprehensive and empirically based understanding of local autonomy over time.

PISA 전후 우리나라의 교육 참조 국가 변화

Objectives This paper investigate whether the PISA rankings have resulted in the shifting of USA and high ranking countries referential status in South Korea education.
 Methods For the purposes of analysis, media representation and the number of articles of referential countries education in South Korea is analyzed by using a newspaper holding a high market share and diverse viewpoints from three time periods: two years before and after the first PISA release and for the last two years.
 Results Referential countries are diversified from only two countries, USA and Japan, after PISA in elementary and secondary education. Articles have much less detail about USA education. USA losing considerably slowly its status as a reference point for Korea education and the pattern of Japan articles has peculiarity.
 Conclusions The results of this study imply that the pattern of external referencing in media representation is affected by not only PISA but also historical, political, and cultural experiences in the case of South Korea. The world university ranking, meanwhile, has even bigger impact than PISA and cultural experience in a university education.

Global trends in the education system of high-ranking countries according to PISA-2018

Problem and aim. The modern education system is a complex of developed social institutions that form a system of connections and social norms that correspond to promising tasks focused on personal development and socialization. The PISA program evaluates the educational achievements of students and thereby identifies and interprets new global trends in the field of education. The aim of the article is to study the global trends in the education system of the high-ranking countries according to the PISA-2018. Materials and research methods. Empirical research has three stages. The first stage is the actualization of materials generated according to the Report PISA-2018 from three groups of ratings: TOP-10 OECD countries, TOP-10 OECD partner countries and an integral TOP-10 of all participating countries. The second stage is the study of the TOP-10 of all participating countries, where the focus is shifted to a specific group of indicators that identify global trends: globalization, practice-oriented learning, digitalization, individual educational track, sustainable development, social climate and emotional intelligence. At the third stage, a comparative analysis of global trend indicators was carried out. The empirical study included descriptive statistics (range of variation, standard deviation and coefficient of variation) to assess the homogeneity of the group of countries identified by the authors and the degree of difference between them. Research results. TOP-10 countries of the world with the best education systems according to PISA-2018 were selected, and those that maximally reveal the global trends in education systems in the high-ranking countries were identified. The highest indicators were found: practical orientation of education in Estonia – 100%; having digital devices at home in Finland – 82.6%; individual educational track (teacher's agreement with the student's opinion) in Chinese Taipei – 82.4%; emotional intelligence and a sense of belonging to school in Korea – 78.7%; social climate and parental participation in school activities in China (Beijing – Shanghai – Jiangsu – Guangdong) – 52.3%. Discussion and conclusion. The infiltration of global trends in the educational activities of a modern school makes it competitive in the context of global digitalization and strengthens the position of the entire country in the PISA ratings. All countries of the world recognizing the high role of education in the development of their country are introducing new digital technologies and improving existing ones. As a result, a picture emerges in which the leading countries of the world set global trends for digitalization and globalization of education, and other countries are implementing them.

Studies on development of low gluten cookies from pearl millet and wheat flour

India is one of the highest-ranking countries in the world for the number of children as well as women suffering from malnutrition. Celiac is a major disease in the developed countries consuming gluten food. Hence, to add nutrition to the diet and to surpass the gluten intolerance, a diet with gluten-free or low gluten food is advisory. In order to combat the present problem, an investigation was undertaken to develop low gluten cookies from composite flour consisting of pearl millet and wheat flour with better nutritional and sensory characteristics. The cookies were prepared by replacing wheat flour with Pearl millet flour (PMF) by 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% respectively. The prepared cookies were then evaluated for various physicochemical, nutritional, textural and sensory parameters. The study revealed that, as the per cent addition of PMF increases, the cookies resulted in a significant decrease in weight, diameter and spread factors. However, the hardness, breaking strength and cutting strength increased with the increase in the addition of PMF in the cookies. The nutritional analysis showed that an increase in moisture, fat, fibre, calcium, phosphorus and iron was recorded in all the samples of the cookies prepared. Moreover, the cookies prepared from PMF (60%) exhibited the highest score for overall acceptability. It can be concluded that the cookies prepared by replacement of whole wheat flour with PMF (60%) found significantly superior with respect to overall quality characteristics over the rest of the combinations.

Global research status of gastroenterology and hepatology: A bibliometrics study.

Background:There are no reports on global research status of gastroenterology and hepatology (GI). This study was conducted to reveal the current global research status and trends in GI.Methods:Articles published during 2009 to 2018 in international GI journals were retrieved from the PubMed database. The top 20 countries by output were determined. The gross domestic product (GDP) of each country was also retrieved to figure out the correlation between outputs in GI and economy. The 5 highest-ranking countries were compared in the number of total articles, articles per capita, articles published in top journals, the accumulated impact factor (IF), and average IF. Total articles and articles per capita of the 5 countries were conducted time-trend analysis. The frequently-used terms in titles and abstracts of articles published in 2009 and 2018 were retrieved to conduct co-occurrence analysis to figure out the change of research highlights in GI.Results:A total of 120,267 articles were included, of which 116,485 articles were from 20 highest-output countries. There was a positive correlation between output and GDP (r = 0.921, P < .001). The USA, Japan, China, Italy, and the UK were the 5 highest-ranking countries. The USA was the largest contributor with 26,215 articles, accounting for 17.4% of the total, but with no significant increasing trend (P = .122). Other 4 countries all showed increasing trends (all P < .001). For articles per capita, Italy ranked 1st among the 5 countries with 1591.0 articles per 10 million. The USA showed a decreasing trend (P = .026), other 4 countries all showed increasing trends (all P < .001). The UK had the highest average IF (6.685). For change of research highlights, it is more inclined to research of endoscopy, inflammatory bowel diseases, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Conclusion:It is delightful that the global research output in GI field would be continuingly increased as the major highest-output countries showed increasing trends. However, the developing countries fell behind both in quantity and quality when compared with developed countries.

Time-space evolution of the goods export network of the Belt and Road countries: The view of weighted complex network

The weighted complex network is utilized to analyze the evolution of the overall structural features of the goods export network and the role transitions of each country in the network. The research suggests: 1. The network of exports of the Belt and Road countries has transformed from multi-core pattern into one extreme along with multi-core pattern; 2. China, South Korea, Russia, Singapore and Italy are the highest-ranking countries in the network. Among these countries, the influence of China is on the rise, South Korea South Korea’s influence remains basically unchanged., however, Russia, Singapore and Italy are on the decline; 3. The leading edge of Asia-Pacific block in the network has been enhanced year by year. Not only has the trade volume within the block increased to 50% of the whole network, but the trade export to other three blocks has significant increasement. The total volume of trade in European block increased greatly and its block mode has transformed from external to universal. The trade volume of the former Soviet Union block along with the West Asia-Africa block increased significantly as well, but there is still a large gap compared with the European block and Asia-Pacific block.

Public policy on gender equality in the United Arab Emirates: A critical appraisal

Empowerment of women and girls is firmly on the political agenda in many countries around the world, including the UAE. This paper evaluates public policy to date with a focus on the extent to which historical and cultural factors have helped or hindered progress towards gender equality, and how contemporary influences are serving to advance or impede its progress. It begins with a review of the various composite indicators used for international comparisons and the risks of over-reliance on a single index number as a ‘catch-all’ measure of gender equality. This leads into a comparative case study analysis of the journey of the UAE alongside that of Rwanda, one of the highest-ranking countries in the world for gender equality. The main contribution of the paper is to propose six guiding principles for evaluation of public policy on gender equality that are consistent with the promotion of a sustainable society.

Assessing the sustainability of public health in the era of globalization

In recent times, globalization has emerged as more than purely an economic phenomenon manifesting itself on a global scale. The elements of globalization include international movement of goods and people, financial capital, and information along with technological developments, political dynamics, tourism, and ecological consequences. This study used the Globalization Convergence Index (GCI) as a measure of multi-dimension globalization and linked it with health indicators to analyze if high-ranking countries were doing better in terms of mortality rates. Different statistical tests were performed to measure the impact of the globalization process on mortality indicators of public health. Findings suggest that highly globalized countries have better health measured in the form of low mortality rates. On domain level, technology was found to be the major driving force for reducing mortality rates followed by social-cultural and ecological domains. In globalization debate, the top-ranked countries were usually lauded as “achievers”, while low-ranked ones were regarded as “losers”. In our opinion, care should be taken while interpreting the observed positive association as simple evidence that globalization is mostly good for our health.

An Analysis of Characteristics of Korean Students’ Mathematics Achievement in Comparison with the High-ranking Countries in PISA 2015

An Analysis of Characteristics of Korean Students’ Mathematics Achievement in Comparison with the High-ranking Countries in PISA 2015

Coronavirus and Rising Threat of Malnutrition among Children in India

Since the emergence and spread of COVID-19 pandemic, countries across the globe are taking measures to contain the spread of virus which has the potential to create devastating social, economic and political crises. As countries across the world are rapidly developing COVID 19 response policies, strategies and programmes, weighing in the effects on public health and their economies, it is also important that they do not underestimate it’s potential impact on reduced immune-suppression associated with wasting on the survival of a large number of children and the future of their nations. Though COVID-19 is a health crisis but if proper measures are not taken on time, it can turn into a major food security crisis. India is already one of the highest ranking countries in the world for the number of children suffering from malnutrition and more than one third of the world’s malnourished children live in India. The novel coronavirus risks is undermining the efforts of humanitarian and food security organizations to reduce hunger and scale down the efforts in this direction In this paper, I would largely focus on the impact of COVID- 19 on food security and nutrition among children in India.

Women in Australian Politics: Maintaining the Rage against the Political Machine

Women in Australian Politics: Maintaining the Rage against the Political Machine

Africa's Oesophageal Cancer Corridor: Geographic Variations in Incidence Correlate with Certain Micronutrient Deficiencies.

BackgroundThe aetiology of Africa’s easterly-lying corridor of squamous cell oesophageal cancer is poorly understood. Micronutrient deficiencies have been implicated in this cancer in other areas of the world, but their role in Africa is unclear. Without prospective cohorts, timely insights can instead be gained through ecological studies.MethodsAcross Africa we assessed associations between a country’s oesophageal cancer incidence rate and food balance sheet-derived estimates of mean national dietary supplies of 7 nutrients: calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), iodine (I), magnesium (Mg), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn). We included 32 countries which had estimates of dietary nutrient supplies and of better-quality GLOBCAN 2012 cancer incidence rates. Bayesian hierarchical Poisson lognormal models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios for oesophageal cancer associated with each nutrient, adjusted for age, gender, energy intake, phytate, smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as their 95% posterior credible intervals (CI). Adult dietary deficiencies were quantified using an estimated average requirements (EAR) cut-point approach.ResultsAdjusted incidence rate ratios for oesophageal cancer associated with a doubling of mean nutrient supply were: for Fe 0.49 (95% CI: 0.29–0.82); Mg 0.58 (0.31–1.08); Se 0.40 (0.18–0.90); and Zn 0.29 (0.11–0.74). There were no associations with Ca, Cu and I. Mean national nutrient supplies exceeded adult EARs for Mg and Fe in most countries. For Se, mean supplies were less than EARs (both sexes) in 7 of the 10 highest oesophageal cancer ranking countries, compared to 23% of remaining countries. For Zn, mean supplies were less than the male EARs in 8 of these 10 highest ranking countries compared to in 36% of other countries.ConclusionsEcological associations are consistent with the potential role of Se and/or Zn deficiencies in squamous cell oesophageal cancer in Africa. Individual-level analytical studies are needed to elucidate their causal role in this setting.

Cautions about Inferences from International Assessments: The Case of PISA 2009

Background/Context Two key uses of international assessments of achievement have been (a) comparing country performances for identifying the countries with the best education systems and (b) generating insights about effective policy and practice strategies that are associated with higher learning outcomes. Do country rankings really reflect the quality of education in different countries? What are the fallacies of simply looking to higher performing countries to identify strategies for improving learning in our own countries? Purpose In this article we caution against (a) using country rankings as indicators of better education and (b) using correlates of higher performance in high ranking countries as a way of identifying strategies for improving education in our home countries. We elaborate on these cautions by discussing methodological limitations and by comparing five countries that scored very differently on the reading literacy scale of the 2009 PISA assessment. Population We use PISA 2009 reading assessment for five countries/jurisdictions as examples to elaborate on the problems with interpretation of international assessments: Canada, Shanghai-China, Germany, Turkey, and the US, i.e., countries from three continents that span the spectrum of high, average, and low ranking countries and jurisdictions. Research Design Using the five jurisdiction data in an exemplary fashion, our analyses focus on the interpretation of country rankings and correlates of reading performance within countries. We first examine the profiles of these jurisdictions with respect to high school graduation rates, school climate, student attitudes and disciplinary climate and how these variables are related to reading performance rankings. We then examine the extent to which two predictors of reading performance, reading enjoyment and out of school enrichment activities, may be responsible for higher performance levels. Conclusions This article highlights the importance of establishing comparability of test scores and data across jurisdictions as the first step in making international comparisons based on international assessments such as PISA. When it comes to interpreting jurisdiction rankings in international assessments, researchers need to be aware that there is a variegated and complex picture of the relations between reading achievement ranking and rankings on a number of factors that one might think to be related individually or in combination to quality of education. This makes it highly questionable to use reading score rankings as a criterion for adopting educational policies and practices of other jurisdictions. Furthermore, reading scores vary greatly for different student sub-populations within a jurisdiction – e.g., gender, language, and cultural groups – that are all part of the same education system in a given jurisdiction. Identifying effective strategies for improving education using correlates of achievement in high performing countries should be also done with caution. Our analyses present evidence that two factors, reading enjoyment and out of school enrichment activities, cannot be considered solely responsible for higher performance levels. The analyses suggests that the PISA 2009 results are variegated with regards to attitudes towards reading and out-of-school learning experience, rather than exhibiting clear differences that might explain the different performances among the five jurisdictions.

Cautions about Inferences from International Assessments: The Case of PISA 2009

Background/Context Two key uses of international assessments of achievement have been (a) comparing country performances for identifying the countries with the best education systems and (b) generating insights about effective policy and practice strategies that are associated with higher learning outcomes. Do country rankings really reflect the quality of education in different countries? What are the fallacies of simply looking to higher performing countries to identify strategies for improving learning in our own countries? Purpose In this article we caution against (a) using country rankings as indicators of better education and (b) using correlates of higher performance in high ranking countries as a way of identifying strategies for improving education in our home countries. We elaborate on these cautions by discussing methodological limitations and by comparing five countries that scored very differently on the reading literacy scale of the 2009 PISA assessment. Population We use PISA 2009 reading assessment for five countries/jurisdictions as examples to elaborate on the problems with interpretation of international assessments: Canada, Shanghai-China, Germany, Turkey, and the US, i.e., countries from three continents that span the spectrum of high, average, and low ranking countries and jurisdictions. Research Design Using the five jurisdiction data in an exemplary fashion, our analyses focus on the interpretation of country rankings and correlates of reading performance within countries. We first examine the profiles of these jurisdictions with respect to high school graduation rates, school climate, student attitudes and disciplinary climate and how these variables are related to reading performance rankings. We then examine the extent to which two predictors of reading performance, reading enjoyment and out of school enrichment activities, may be responsible for higher performance levels. Conclusions This article highlights the importance of establishing comparability of test scores and data across jurisdictions as the first step in making international comparisons based on international assessments such as PISA. When it comes to interpreting jurisdiction rankings in international assessments, researchers need to be aware that there is a variegated and complex picture of the relations between reading achievement ranking and rankings on a number of factors that one might think to be related individually or in combination to quality of education. This makes it highly questionable to use reading score rankings as a criterion for adopting educational policies and practices of other jurisdictions. Furthermore, reading scores vary greatly for different student sub-populations within a jurisdiction – e.g., gender, language, and cultural groups – that are all part of the same education system in a given jurisdiction. Identifying effective strategies for improving education using correlates of achievement in high performing countries should be also done with caution. Our analyses present evidence that two factors, reading enjoyment and out of school enrichment activities, cannot be considered solely responsible for higher performance levels. The analyses suggests that the PISA 2009 results are variegated with regards to attitudes towards reading and out-of-school learning experience, rather than exhibiting clear differences that might explain the different performances among the five jurisdictions.

Understanding validity issues in international large scale assessments

Purpose – This policy brief, the third in the AERI-NEPC eBrief series “Understanding validity issues around the world”, discusses validity issues surrounding International Large Scale Assessment (ILSA) programs. ILSA programs, such as the well-known Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), are rapidly expanding around the world today. In this eBrief, the authors examine what “validity” means when applied to published results and reports of programs like the PISA. Design/methodology/approach – This policy brief is based on a synthesis of conference proceedings and review of selected pieces of extant literature. It begins by summarizing perspectives of an invited expert panel on the topic. To that synthesis, the authors add their own analysis of key issues. They conclude by offering recommendations for test developers and test users. Findings – ILSA programs and tests, while offering valuable information, should be read and used cautiously and in context. All parties need to be on the same page to maximize valid use of ILSA results, to obtain the greatest educational and social benefits, and to minimize negative consequences. The authors propose several recommendations for test makers and ILSA program leaders, and ILSA users. To ILSA leaders and researchers: provide more cautionary information about how to correctly interpret the ILSA results, particularly country rankings, given contextual differences among nations. Provide continuing psychometric or research resources so as to address or reduce various sources of error in reports. Encourage policy makers in different nations to share the responsibility for ensuring more contextualized (and valid) interpretations of ILSA reports and subsequent policy development. Raise awareness among policy makers to look beyond simple rankings and pay more attention to inter-country differences. For consumers of ILSA results and reports: read the fine print, not just the country rankings, to interpret ILSA results correctly in particular regions/nations. When looking to high-ranking countries as role models, be sure to consider the “whole picture”. Use ILSA data as complements to other national- and state-level educational assessments to better gauge the status of the country's education system and subsequent policy directions. Originality/value – By translating complex information on validity issues with all concerned ILSA stakeholders in mind, this policy brief will improve uses and applications of ILSA information in national and regional policy contexts.

Workplace innovation in Finland: Towards sustainable productivity growth?

This paper examines challenges that Finnish companies are facing in the global productivity race and means they have used in responding to these challenges, with a special reference to work organization, personnel competence development and utilization of external sources in acquiring new knowledge. In recent years, Finnish companies have been actively modernising their work organization. In the ‘innovative work organization index’ developed by Valeyre et al. (2009), for example, Finland ranked third of all the EU27 countries in 2005. One special feature of Finnish companies’ modernization strategies compared with those of the other highest ranking countries – Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands – was a more widespread use of ‘lean production’ approach, whereas in the dissemination of ‘discretionary learning’ forms of work organization Finland was lagging behind these three countries. In concrete terms and in comparison with the other highest ranking countries, Finnish companies have laid more emphasis on teamwork, task rotation, multi-skilling and decentralization of quality control in their strategies to renovate work organization, while less notion than in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands has been paid to increasing individuals’ autonomy and variety in work and reducing constraints that pace work. These differences may be explained by the strong engineering orientation in Finnish management culture, the lesser influence by the socio-technical systems design approach and the fact that quality of working life entered the Finnish policy agenda later than in the three above-mentioned countries (Alasoini, 2004; Kasvio, 1994; Koistinen – Lilja, 1988). This paper examines work organization modernization strategies of Finnish companies with the help of establishment-level data and by looking at companies in industry and private services separately, with a view to finding similarities and differences in the operation logics and change strategies between these two sectors. The paper includes an analysis on decision-making structures, nature of teamwork, personnel competence development practices and utilization of external sources of knowledge in these two sectors. The empirical material is based on a survey, carried out by the Finnish Workplace Development Programme TYKES (2004–2010). The paper starts with an introduction to different approaches to workplace innovation in companies and to different policy options in tackling with the problem of low level of workplace innovation in Europe. Thereafter, the paper provides an overview on the main problems facing Finland’s future economic growth and on policies to promote workplace innovation. Thirdly, the article presents the survey data and results. Finally, conclusions based on the empirical analysis will be drawn.

The Determinants of Country Risk Ratings

The purpose of this paper is to replicate Euromoney's and Institutional Investor's country risk ratings on the basis of economic and political variables. The evidence reveals that country risk ratings respond to some of the variables suggested by the theory. In particular, both the level of per capita income and propensity to invest affect positively the rating of a country. In addition, high-ranking countries are less indebted than low-ranking countries. It also appears that the ability of the model to duplicate the two country risk measures is very similar and both magazines' ratings can be replicated to a significant degree with few available economic statistics.

Built-in Reliability Checks for Questionnaires

rank high. The figures for the Netherlands seem low both as to total value consumed and as to qualitative composition; this points to possible flaws in the basic consumption estimates. Similarly, Belgium may appear underestimated because its high-quality consumption (in the sense of more expensive grades) cannot find adequate expression in the application of one average price scale. The Mediterranean countries consume only about two-thirds of the total value per capita compared with the highest ranking countries in Northern and Western Europe. In qualitative composition they are not quite as low-between 75 and 80 per cent of the value per 1,000 calories in the highest ranking Western and Northern European countries. It seems unlikely that qualitative composition in Italy is somewhat below Spain, Portugal and Greece as shown by these figures, which again may indicate flaws in basic consumption estimates. Otherwise the data as here calculated seem reasonable. It is also interesting to note that in the comparison country, India, the total value of consumption per capita is less than one-third of what it is in Northern and Western Europe and less than one-half of consumption in Eastern Europe. If the influence of lower energy intake is eliminated -perhaps on the theory that it would represent the difference in physical energy requirements-the qualitative difference would still be enormous: value per 1,000 calories consumed in India is less than one-half of that consumed in Northern and Western Europe and only about two-thirds of the value per 1,000 calories in Eastern Europe.