International and Comparative Education Commons^™

Unicef And Unesco, Richa Jain

International Developments

ACER has been working with the United Nations through UNICEF and UNESCO to support high-quality education across the world.

Making A Difference In Developing Countries

International Developments

The work of ACER in education is making the difference in educational outcomes for students across the world, particularly in developing countries, explains the author.

International Developments (No.3) 2013

International Developments

Table of contents for this issue: (a) Making a difference in developing countries; (b) UNICEF and UNESCO; (c) Regional focus : Africa; (d) Literacy and the most marginalised children.

Feasibility Study For The East Asia Summit - Regional Facility For Education Quality Assessment Project (Rfeqa), John Cresswell, Karyn Docking

Monitoring Learning

This report presents a feasibility study into an East Asia Summit (EAS) Regional Facility for Education Quality Assessment (RFEQA).The project was developed partly in response tomajor findings of the 2008 study Harnessing Educational Cooperation in the EAS for Regional Competitiveness and Community Building (‘the Harnessing Report’) which noted that 'One potential issue for a number of EAS countries is that a number of the international student achievement studies are focused on secondary education. For developing countries in particular, the higher priority is likely to be student achievement in primary education as secondary participation rates are relatively low...'

This report …

Formative Evaluation Of Textbooks And Workbooks In South Africa, Rachel Outhred, Adrian Beavis, Catherine Stubberfield, Jenny Wilkinson, Martin Murphy, David Kelly

Program monitoring and evaluation

Textbooks and workbooks have long been considered a critical challenge within the South African education system. The Department of Basic Education, South Africa (DBE) undertook a major initiative to provide Mathematics and Language workbooks to learners in order to accelerate progress towards Education for All, in terms of access to and quality of education. The DBE, with support from UNICEF, commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to undertake an independent formative evaluation of workbooks and textbooks in South Africa in the period April 2012 – February 2013. The evaluation of the Workbook project was formative. The study was …

Iccs 2009 Encyclopedia : Approaches To Civic And Citizenship Education Around The World, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2009) investigated the ways in which countries prepare their young people to undertake their roles as citizens. It studied student knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as student attitudes, perceptions, and activities related to civics and citizenship. ICCS also examined differences among countries in relation to these outcomes of civic and citizenship education, and it explored how differences across countries relate to student characteristics, school and community contexts, and national characteristics. Thirty-eight countries participated in ICCS 2009. Among these were five from Asia, 26 from Europe, six from Latin …

International Computer And Information Literacy Study: Assessment Framework, Julian Fraillon, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley

ICT - Digital Literacy

The purpose of the International Computer and Information Literacy Study 2013 (ICILS 2013) is to investigate, in a range of countries, the ways in which young people are developing computer and information literacy (CIL) to support their capacity to participate in the digital age. To achieve this aim, the study will assess student achievement through an authentic computer-based assessment of CIL administered to students in their eighth year of schooling. It will also collect and report on analyses of data about student use of computers and other digital devices as well as students’ attitudes toward the use of computers and …

Changes In Knowledge About And Perception Of Civics And Citizenship Over A Ten-Year Period: Comparing Cived 1999 And Iccs 2009, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

A larger number of countries involved in the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2009) had also participated in the previous IEA CIVED study undertaken in 1999. The civic knowledge test included a subset of CIVED items which were used to derive comparable measures of civic content knowledge, one of the subscales reported in CIVED 1999. Some of the ICCS 2009 questionnaire material also included items that were similar or even identical in wording to those used in CIVED but for which some general format changes were applied. This paper discusses the potential for comparing results from both …

Evaluating The Contribution Of Schools To The Development Of Young People As Future Citizens, Bruno Losito, Elisa Caponera, Cristiano Corsini, Paola Mirti

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This paper will illustrate how the contribution of schools to students’ civic knowledge and attitudes was analyzed in ICCS 2009. It is divided into three parts. The first part illustrates the constructs and variables included in the ICCS instruments (student, teacher and school questionnaires) and their relationship with findings from previous studies about civic and citizenship education and school effectiveness. The second part of the paper presents some major findings for European countries in relation to the influence of school context on student outcomes. While comparing them with the results from other studies, this paper discusses the extent to which …

Measuring Civic Knowledge Among Young Adolescents In The International Civic And Citizenship Education Study, Julian Fraillon, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Young people’s acquisition of knowledge about, and their development of and understanding of key concepts in, civics and citizenship is widely seen as an important function of most education systems. From a national perspective, civic knowledge would typically encompass aspects related to the country’s political system and its institutions, rights and responsibilities of citizens, mechanisms of engagement in society as well as general concepts (such as national identity, tolerance or shared values) (Schulz, Ainley, Fraillon, Kerr & Losito, 2010a & 2010b). Depending on the curriculum for civic and citizenship education in a country, it would be expected that these aspects …

Assessing The Intended Participation Of Young Adolescents As Future Citizens: Comparing Results From 26 European Countries, John Ainley, Tim Friedman, David Kerr, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Recent developments in the economic and social politics of Europe have led to a quickened interest in the intentions of young people to participate as citizens. This paper focuses on students from 26 European countries who were in Grade 8 in 2009 and who will typically gain formal electoral rights in 2013. It analyzes young adolescents' intentions to participate as citizens through political participation as adults through electoral and active political participation. The paper is based on the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study which investigated the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools were being prepared …

Social Origin And Citizenship Participation In Latin American Schools, Juan Castillo

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

Empirical research in political participation has consistently shown that participation is characteristic of those with higher socio-economic status and formal education (Brady, Verba, & Schlozman, 1995; Lijphart, 1997; Dalton, 1988; Han, 2009; Marien, Hooghe, & Quintelier, 2010). Socio-economic status differences among citizens are accentuated in societies with high economic inequality as the Latin American ones (De Ferranti et al., 2003; Deininger & Squire, 1996; Dion, 2007; Hoffman & Centeno, 2003; Korzeniewicz & Smith, 2000), and therefore it would be expected to find political inequality in terms of participation in this region (Côrtes & Dubrow, 2011). Such a link is not …

Civic Participation At School And School-Based Community Participation, Elisa Caponera, Bruno Losito, Paola Mirti

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The idea of civic and citizenship education underpinning ICCS recognizes that civic and citizenship knowledge, dispositions to engage and attitudes related to civic and citizenship education are linked to the variety of contexts where students live, including family background, classrooms, schools, and the wider community (Schulz, Ainley, Fraillon, Losito, Kerr, 2008; Schulz, Ainley, Fraillon, Kerr, Losito, 2010). Particular importance is given to the actual opportunities students have to actively participate in school life and in the community where the school is located. The first part of this paper will provide a general overview of how schools in the countries participating …

International Update (No. 2) November 2011

International Update archive (2010-2012)

Table of contents for this issue: (a) Beginning teacher standards in Saudi Arabia; (b) National assessment reports on health of UAE school system; (c) AHELO moves ahead; (d) ACER and CBSE conduct international assessment conference; (e) ACER India expands operations; (f) Measuring adult skills in New Zealand; (g) ACER and UNESCO Beirut collaborate in Arab States; (h) Reading literacy reform in Portugal; (i) Assessing generic skills; (j) Testing basic mathematics in Norway.

Performance Comparison Between Ib School Students And Non-Ib School Students On The International Schools’ Assessment (Isa) And On The Social And Emotional Wellbeing Questionnaire, Ling Tan, Yan Bibby

Monitoring Learning

This report examines the performance of students enrolled in the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) on the ACER International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) compared with non-IB students from the same ISA cohorts. The ISA is an assessment created especially for students in international schools in Grades 3 to 10. The assessment asks both multiple-choice and open-ended questions in the areas of writing, reading and mathematics, and provides international normative information about student performance. The Reading and Mathematical Literacy are based on the internationally endorsed frameworks of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). …

Latin American Perspectives On Civic And Citizenship Education, Wolfram Schulz, Eugenio Gonzalez

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) focused on the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens. Preparing students for citizenship involves developing relevant knowledge and understanding as well as encouraging the formation of positive attitudes toward being a citizen. The conceptual background for, and the design of ICCS were described in the assessment framework (Schulz, Fraillon, Ainley, Losito, & Kerr, 2008) and the international results were reported in its international reports (Schulz, Ainley, Fraillon, Kerr & Losito, 2010a & 2010b). This paper gives an overview of the results from the regional assessment …

Multi-Level Analysis Of Factors Explaining Differences In Civic Knowledge, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Eva Van De Gaer

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study studied the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries including Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. ICCS was the third IEA study designed to measure contexts and outcomes of civic and citizenship education and was linked to the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED) (Amadeo, Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Husfeldt & Nikolova, 2002; Schulz & Sibberns, 2004; Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald & Schulz, 2001). A central aspect of the study was the assessment of student knowledge about a …

The Roles Of Schools And Communities In Civic And Citizenships Education, Elisa Caponera, Bruno Losito

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The first part of the present paper is an overview of school and community roles in students’ civic and citizenship education across ICCS countries. Data from school and teacher questionnaires were used to describe how schools and communities contribute to the development of students’ civic knowledge. The second part investigates, through multi-level analysis, the relationship between a selection of variables at student and school levels and a selection of student attitudes. More specifically, the attitudes taken into account are: attitudes toward equal gender rights, toward equal rights for immigrants, and toward equal rights for ethnic/racial groups.

Expected Participation In Protest Activities Among Lower Secondary Students In 38 Countries, John Ainley, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) investigated the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools (specifically in their eighth year of school) are being prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries in Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. ICCS is the third IEA1 study designed to study outcomes of civic and citizenship education (CCE) and is linked to the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED) (Amadeo, Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Husfeldt & Nikolova, 2002; Schulz & Sibberns, 2004; Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald & Schulz, 2001). Results from this study have been …

International Developments (No.1) 2010

International Developments

Table of contents for this issue: Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA); (b) World Bank; (c) Latin America; (d) Middle East; (e) International Schools Assessment Program; (f) Medical testing.

Iccs 2009 Latin American Report : Civic Knowledge And Attitudes Among Lower-Secondary Students In Six Latin American Countries, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Tim Friedman, Petra Lietz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) focused on the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens. Preparing students for citizenship involves developing relevant knowledge and understanding as well as encouraging the formation of positive attitudes toward being a citizen. Descriptions of the conceptual background for and the design of ICCS appear in the publication detailing the ICCS assessment framework (Schulz, Fraillon, Ainley, Losito, & Kerr, 2008). Regional contexts are important for civic and citizenship education because they shape how people undertake their roles as citizens. ICCS included, in addition to the core …

Pisa 2009 Plus Results : Performance Of 15-Year-Olds In Reading, Mathematics And Science For 10 Additional Participants, Maurice Walker

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative survey of 15-year-olds’ knowledge and skills in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. PISA seeks to measure how well young adults have acquired the knowledge and skills that are required to function as successful members of society. As part of the PISA 2009 survey, students completed an assessment on reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy, as well as an extensive background questionnaire. School principals also completed a survey describing the context of education at their school, including the level of resources in the school and qualifications of staff. …

Pisa In Brief : Highlights From The Full Australian Report : Challenges For Australian Education : Results From Pisa 2009 : The Pisa 2009 Assessment Of Students' Reading, Mathematical And Scientific Literacy, Sue Thomson, Lisa De Bortoli, Marina Nicholas, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Australia

PISA in Brief summarises the results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 assessment of students’ reading, mathematical and scientific literacy skills. It tells us about how students performed in the assessment and describes some wider findings about what lies behind their results. PISA 2009 assessed students’ capacities to apply knowledge and skills in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. More assessment time was given to reading literacy, as this was the main focus for this cycle.

Explaining Differences In Civic Knowledge Across 38 Countries, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Eva Van De Gaer

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study studied the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries in Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. A central aspect of the study was the assessment of student knowledge about a wide range of civic and citizenship-related issues. This paper includes analyses that use a multi-level model to explain differences in civic knowledge on the basis of student characteristics, home background and school contexts. In addition, the analyses in this paper include a consideration of factors …

Preparedness For Active Citizenship Among Lower Secondary Students In International Comparison, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Eva Van De Gaer

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study investigates the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries from Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. A central aspect of students' preparedness to become citizens in a democracy is their disposition to actively participate in society. This paper contains an analysis of measures of students' intentions to participate as citizens in civic life and students' current participation in civic activities in their eighth year of schooling. It is based on data from approximately 140,000 students …

International Students’ Engagement With Effective Educational Practices : A Cross-National Comparison, Daniel Edwards, Hamish Bennett Coates, Ali Radloff

Higher education research

International students in USA universities have higher levels of engagement with their institution when compared to international students enrolled in Australasian universities. ❚ The largest difference between USA and Australian international students was related to student and staff interactions. ❚ The growth in engagement with their institution between first and later year students among the international cohort is more prominent among those enrolled in USA than those in Australia or New Zealand. ❚ Among Australasian higher education students the international student group on average have higher levels of engagement than domestic students. ❚ When compared cross-nationally, the engagement score difference …

The Analysis Of Measurement Equivalence In International Studies Using The Rasch Model, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

No abstract provided.

National Assessment Program : Civics And Citizenship Years 6 And 10 Report 2007, Ministerial Council On Education, Employment, Training And Youth Affairs (Mceetya), Suzanne Mellor

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The 2007 National Civics and Citizenship Sample Assessment report is the second to be published on Civics and Citizenship in the cycle of three-yearly sample assessments conducted by MCEETYA as part of its National Assessment Program (NAP). The assessment measured students’ civic knowledge and understanding and their citizenship participation skills and dispositions. The assessment was conducted in October 2007 with 7,059 Year 6 students from 349 schools and 5,506 Year 10 students from 269 schools participating. The participating students were from both government and non-government schools. Results of the assessment show that nationally, 54 per cent of Year 6 students …

Harnessing Educational Cooperation In The Eas For Regional Competitiveness And Community Building, Phillip Mckenzie, Robert Horne, Andrew Dowling, Adrian Beavis

International Education Research

At the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) meeting held in 2007, the 16 Country Leaders agreed to strengthen regional educational cooperation. Acting on behalf of the EAS, the ASEAN Secretariat has commissioned this project to develop strategies for EAS participants to enhance regional economic competitiveness and strengthen community building in a balanced and sustainable manner through cooperation in education. The project’s scope encompasses regional cooperation in basic education (primary and secondary), technical and vocational education and training, and higher education. This report draws on a literature review of experiences with international educational cooperation, analysis of published data, consultations with education …

Harnessing Educational Cooperation In The East Asia Summit (Eas) For Regional Competitiveness And Community Building, Phillip Mckenzie, Robert Horne, Andrew Dowling, Adrian Beavis

Program monitoring and evaluation

At the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) held in 2007, the EAS leaders agreed to strengthen educational cooperation between their 16 countries. On behalf of the EAS, the ASEAN Secretariat commissioned this project to develop strategies for EAS participants to enhance regional economic competitiveness and strengthen community building in a balanced and sustainable manner through cooperation in education. Its scope encompasses regional cooperation in Basic Education (Primary and Secondary Education), Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Higher Education. The report draws on a literature review of the experience with regional educational cooperation, analysis of published data, consultations with …