PISA 2015: Performance, Equity and Well-Being

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines not just what students know in science, reading and mathematics, but what they can do with what they know. Results from PISA show educators and policy makers the quality and equity of learning outcomes achieved elsewhere, and allow them to learn from the policies and practices applied in other countries. In 2015 over half a million students, representing 28 million 15-year-olds in 72 countries and economies, took the internationally agreed two-hour test. Students were assessed in science, mathematics, reading, collaborative problem solving and financial literacy. This presentation is aimed to provide a better understanding of how the PISA assessment is performed and how it can help policy makers and practitioners foster excellence and equity in education. This presentation summarises student performance in science, reading and mathematics, and it focuses on students’ attitudes towards learning and well-being. What happens in school – as well as at home – is key to understanding whether students enjoy good physical and mental health, how happy and satisfied they are with different aspects of their life, how connected they feel to others, and the aspirations they have for their future.