THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL LARGE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS (ILSAS) ON NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS
Keywords:
Ilsas (International Large-Scale Assessments), Pisa Effect, Educational Policy Borrowing, Curriculum Alignment, Accountability, Global Governance Of Education, Teaching To The Test, Competency-Based Education 1. Introduction: The Rise of Global Performance IndicatorsAbstract
International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs) like PISA, TIMSS, and
PIRLS have shaken up education policy around the world. These global tests don’t
just collect data—they set the tone for what’s important in schools. Suddenly, countries
aren’t just looking inward; they’re comparing themselves to everyone else. This article
digs into how ILSAs drive policy changes, spark curriculum reforms, and shape new
ways to hold schools accountable. There are clear upsides—like smarter, data-driven
decision making and a bigger focus on what students can actually do, not just what they
memorize. But there are also serious worries: teachers end up teaching to the test, some
subjects get squeezed out, and blindly copying “best practices” from top-ranking
countries rarely works as planned.
References
1.
OECD. (2018). PISA 2018 Results: What Students Know and Can Do. OECD
Publishing. (Reference for the primary assessment source).
2.
Breakspear, S. (2014). How Does PISA Shape Education Policy Making? OECD
Education Working Papers, No. 104. (Focus on policy shaping mechanisms).
3.
Sellar, S., & Lingard, B. (2013). The OECD and the New Governing of
Education. Journal of Education Policy, 28(5), 571–585. (Analysis of OECD's policy
influence).
4.
Raudsepp, M. (2020). PISA and Education Reform in Europe: Cases of Policy
Inertia, Avoidance, and Refraction. Journal of Educational Policy. (Case study
examples of different national responses).
