The PISA 2022 report, assessing global education during COVID-19, included 700,000 students from 81 countries. It found varying pandemic impacts on educational performance. While 31 countries maintained or improved mathematics scores, with Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Switzerland excelling, the OECD average dropped significantly, indicating a loss of nearly a year’s learning.
In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic’s far-reaching effects as shown in the PISA 2022 report emerges as a pivotal analysis in understanding the global education landscape. This study by the Programme for International Student Assessment surveys the academic prowess, well-being, and equality of nearly 700,000 students across 81 OECD member and partner economies. It uniquely captures a pre- and post-pandemic educational panorama, offering invaluable insights into how our world learns and grows amidst unprecedented challenges.
A key finding of the report is the varying impact of the pandemic on educational performance across different countries. Despite challenging conditions, 31 countries and economies managed to maintain or improve their performance in mathematics since the 2018 PISA assessment.
Notably, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Switzerland achieved high levels of student performance, with scores ranging from 487 to 575 points (the OECD average being 472). These systems shared characteristics such as shorter school closures, fewer obstacles to remote learning, and sustained support from teachers and parents, offering valuable insights into best practices for addressing future crises.
Image Source: OECD 2022 PISA Results
The report also highlights significant progress in universal secondary education, particularly in countries like Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Morocco, Paraguay, and Romania, which have expanded education to previously marginalized populations over the past decade. Ten countries, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Macao, and the United Kingdom, demonstrated high levels of socio-economic fairness in education.
However, the PISA 2022 assessment revealed an unprecedented drop in performance across the OECD. Compared to 2018, the mean performance fell by ten score points in reading and nearly 15 score points in mathematics, equating to a loss of almost three-quarters of a year’s worth of learning. This decline, particularly significant in mathematics, is three times greater than any previous consecutive change in PISA assessments.
The decline in performance cannot be solely attributed to the pandemic. Trends in declining scores in reading and science were already evident before the pandemic, with negative trends in mathematics performance apparent in several countries before 2018. The study found no clear difference in performance trends between education systems with limited school closures and those that experienced longer closures.
The transition to digitally enabled remote learning posed both challenges and opportunities. The report indicates that students who spent up to an hour per day on digital devices for learning activities scored higher in mathematics than those who did not use technology for learning. However, the use of technology for leisure, such as mobile phones, was often associated with poorer results.
Image Source: OECD 2022 PISA Results
Teacher support emerged as a crucial factor, especially during times of disruption. Mathematics scores were higher in places where students reported good access to teacher help. However, about one in five students reported receiving extra help only in some mathematics lessons.
Image Source: OECD 2022 PISA Results
Parental engagement in student learning also played a significant role in maintaining or improving mathematics performance, particularly for disadvantaged students. However, there was a notable decrease in parental involvement in students’ learning at school between 2018 and 2022.
The report finds a positive relationship between investment in education and average performance, up to a certain spending threshold. Countries like Korea and Singapore demonstrate that high-quality education systems can be developed even with relatively low initial income levels by focusing on the quality of teaching and aligning resources with needs.
The PISA 2022 report underscores the resilience of education systems and the importance of effective educational strategies and investments in ensuring equitable and high-quality learning outcomes, especially in the face of global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
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