This paper scrutinizes the increasing trend of using international large-scale assessment (ILSA) data for causal inferences in educational research, arguing that such inferences are often tenuous. We explore the complexities of causality within ILSAs, highlighting the methodological constraints that challenge the validity of causal claims derived…

The OECD's PISA program assesses 15-year-old students globally in key competencies every 3 years, providing influential data on education quality and spurring policy debates. In the latest cycle, the innovation domain focused on creative thinking, assessing over 140,000 students across 60+ countries, in the largest study of adolescent creativity…

This paper uses data from the OECD's 2015 PISA and an endogenous treatment effects model to investigate the impact of different intensities of digital device use for academic purposes on science learning outcomes. When we do not differentiate the location of device use, we find that greater use can help students improve their science scores in…

This paper sets out to explore the different uses made of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Program for International Student Assessment (OECD-PISA) tests and data in mathematics education research. Through a comprehensive literature review of journals and conference papers, we show that although a large variety of topics is…

In large-scale assessments, performance differences across different groups are regularly found. These group differences (e.g., gender differences) are often relevant for educational policy decisions and measures. However, the formation of these group differences usually remains unclear. We propose an approach for investigating this formation by…

Large-scale learning assessments can be used to generate performance and contextual data on student learning outcomes. They can be national, regional, or international; school based or household based. The UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) has conducted a qualitative study to explore both how and why learning…

Although the number of countries conducting large-scale assessments has increased significantly over the past two decades, this has not necessarily led to the effective use of learning assessment data in policy-making and planning. To better understand the reasons for this, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)…

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) transitioned from paper-based assessments to computer-based assessments (CBAs) facilitating the use of new item types and more effective data collection tools. This allows implementation of more complex test designs and to collect process and response time (RT) data. These new data types can be used to…

Comparing group is one of the key uses of large-scale assessment results, which are used to gain insights to inform policy and practice and to examine the comparability of scores and score meaning. Such comparisons typically focus on examinees' final answers and responses to test questions, ignoring response process differences groups may engage…

Two separate data searches underlie this analysis of how references to educational research and to PISA are used in the Swedish education debate. The data consist of 380 newspaper articles from the eight largest print media outlets in Sweden and 200 protocols from parliamentary debates (2000 to 2016) that made explicit reference to 'PISA' and/or…

Although the number of countries conducting large-scale assessments has increased significantly over the past two decades, this has not necessarily led to the effective use of learning assessment data in policy-making and planning. To better understand the reasons for this, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)…

Large-scale learning assessments can be used to generate performance and contextual data on student learning outcomes. They can be national, regional, or international; school based or household based. The UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) has conducted a qualitative study to explore both how and why learning…

This three-article dissertation considers the pedagogical practices for developing statistically literate students and teaching data-driven decision-making with the goal of preparing students for civic engagement and improving student achievement. The first article discusses a critical review of the literature on data-driven decision-making…

A great education is the key to unlocking personal potential to succeed in careers and to lead a meaningful life. Accordingly, education is best addressed by those closest to students--parents and teachers. The proper Federal role in education should be to come alongside teachers, parents, and students in ensuring every student has opportunities…

Although International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement-pioneered international large-scale assessment (ILSA) of education is now a well-established science, non-practitioners and many users often substantially misunderstand how large-scale assessments are conducted, what questions and challenges they are designed to…