PISA 2006

Key Facts: PISA 2006 When: July - August 2006 Who: Nearly 5000 15-year-old New Zealand students from 170 schools (state, state-integrated and independent). Schools and students were selected at random. Internationally, nearly 400,000 students took part. What: OECD International Standardised Study: Scientific literacy (main focus), reading literacy and mathematical literacy (minor focus). Where: 57 countries (30 OECD countries). Some FAQs about PISA are available.

Scientific Literacy (major focus)

PISA 2006 definition of scientific literacy (main focus)

An individual’s scientific knowledge and use of that knowledge to identify questions, to acquire new knowledge, to explain scientific phenomena, and to draw evidence-based conclusions about science-related issues, understanding of the characteristic features of science as a form of human knowledge and enquiry, awareness of how science and technology shape our material, intellectual, and cultural environments, and willingness to engage in science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen.

OECD (2006). Assessing Scientific, Reading and Mathematical Literacy – A Framework for PISA 2006, OECD, Paris.

 

New Zealand’s mean scores in scientific literacy

Three scientific competencies (identifying scientific issues, using scientific evidence and explaining phenomena scientifically) and two knowledge domains (knowledge of science – physical, living and earth and space and technology systems and knowledge about science – scientific enquiry and scientific explanations) were assessed in PISA 2006. The results for technology were not reported separately but are reported on the overall knowledge of science scale.

• Only two countries - Finland (563) and Hong Kong-China (542)  - on average achieved a significantly better performance than New Zealand’s 15-year-old students.
• New Zealand’s mean performance (530) was statistically similar to eight other countries, including Canada (534) and Australia (527).
• New Zealand’s 15-year-olds performed significantly better, on average, than 46 of the other 57 PISA countries participating in PISA, including the United Kingdom (515) and United States (489).
• New Zealand’s 15-year-olds performed strongly on the science competencies identifying scientific issues, and using scientific evidence and relatively weaker on explaining phenomena scientifically.
• New Zealand students performed strongly on the knowledge of science content areas earth and space and living systems and relatively weaker on physical systems. 
• A stronger performance was shown on the overall knowledge about science scale relative to the overall knowledge of science scale.

Note: Trend information is not available for scientific literacy. As science was the main focus for the first time in PISA 2006 additional aspects of science were assessed. Therefore it is not possible to compare science learning outcomes with the earlier administrations of PISA 2000 and PISA 2003.

Key findings of scientific literacy proficiency: 6 Levels

PISA 2006 also describes students’ scientific literacy performance in terms of proficiency levels which link student achievement scores to the types of scientific tasks that students at each level would typically be expected to perform (see Summary descriptions for the six levels of proficiency in science below). For example, students at Level 1, the lowest end of the proficiency continuum, can undertake simple routine tasks whereas students at the highest end, Level 6, are proficient on tasks that require advanced scientific thinking and reasoning.

Proficiency levels on the scientific aspects are also available (see interactive data cube or PISA 2006 international report, Science Competencies For Tomorrow’s World, Vol. 1: Analysis, OECD).

Two highest levels of scientific proficiency (Level 5 and Level 6)

New Zealand 15-year-olds

• Eighteen percent of New Zealand’s 15-year-olds demonstrated that they could successfully complete the majority of tasks that required proficiency at Level 5 or higher (4 percent of these students performed at Level 6 – New Zealand and Finland had a larger proportion of students performing at Level 6 than the 55 other PISA 2006 countries).

OECD average

• Across the 30 OECD countries, on average, 9 percent of students achieved Level 5 or higher (1 percent of these students reached Level 6).

 

Lowest levels of scientific proficiency (Level 1 or lower)

New Zealand 15-year-olds (on average)

• Fourteen percent of New Zealand students were at or below Level 1 (4 percent of these students did not reach Level 1).

OECD average

• A fifth (19%) of students from OECD countries, on average, were at or below Level 1 (5 percent of these students did not reach Level 1).

Reading Literacy (minor)

PISA definition of reading literacy

An individual’s capacity to understand, use and reflect on written texts, in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential and to participate in society.

OECD (2006). Assessing Scientific, Reading and Mathematical Literacy- A Framework for PISA 2006, OECD, Paris.

New Zealand’s mean scores in reading literacy

PISA assesses three reading processes - retrieving information, interpreting texts and reflecting on and evaluating texts. As reading is a minor focus of PISA 2006 student results on the three reading processes are summarised and reported on the combined reading literacy scale.

• On average, only three countries - Korea (556), Finland (547) and Hong Kong-China (536) - performed statistically better than New Zealand.
• New Zealand’s average score (521) was statistically similar to two countries - Canada (527) and Ireland (517).
• New Zealand’s 15-year-olds performed significantly better, on average, than 50 of the 55 other PISA countries reported in PISA 2006, including Australia (513) and the United Kingdom (495).

Note: The United States of America reading literacy results are not reported because mean performance in reading could not be accurately be estimated due to a printing error in test booklets. Some of the reading questions had incorrect instructions.

Key findings of reading proficiency: 5 Levels

As for PISA 2000, students reading performance is also described in terms proficiency levels. The five reading proficiency levels provide a way of linking student achievement scores to the types of reading tasks that students at each level would typically be expected to perform. For example, students at Level 1, the lowest end of the proficiency continuum, can undertake simple routine tasks where as students at the highest end, Level 5 or higher, are proficient at complex tasks (see 'Summary descriptions for the six levels of proficiency in reading' below).

 

Two highest levels of reading proficiency (Level 4 and Level 5)

New Zealand 15-year-olds

• Forty percent of New Zealand’s 15-year-olds demonstrated that they could successfully complete the majority of tasks requiring proficiency Level 4 or higher (16 percent of these students performed at Level 5).

OECD average

• Across the 30 OECD countries, 30 percent of students, on average, achieved Level 4 or higher (9 percent of these students reached Level 5).

 

Lowest levels of reading proficiency (Level 1 or lower)

New Zealand 15-year-olds (on average)

• At the lower end of the continuum, 15 percent of New Zealand students were at or below Level 1 (5 percent of these students did not reach Level 1).

OECD average

• A fifth (20%) of students from OECD countries, on average, were at the lowest end of the proficiency continuum (7 percent of these students did not reach Level 1).

Mathematical Literacy (minor)

PISA definition of mathematical literacy

An individual’s capacity to identify and understand the role that mathematics plays in the world, to make well-founded judgements, and to use and engage with mathematics in ways that meet the needs of that individual’s life as a constructive, concerned and reflective citizen.

OECD (2006). Assessing Scientific, Reading and Mathematical Literacy- A Framework for PISA 2006, OECD, Paris.

New Zealand’s mean scores in mathematical literacy

PISA assesses four aspects of mathematical literacy - quantity (numeracy), uncertainty (statistics), space and shape (geometry) and change and relationships (algebra). As mathematics is a minor focus of PISA 2006 students results on the four mathematical content areas are summarised and reported on the combined mathematical literacy scale.

• On average, five countries - Chinese Taipei (549), Finland (548), Hong Kong-China (547), Korea (547) and the Netherlands (531) - performed statistically better than New Zealand’s 15-year-olds.
• New Zealand’s average score (522) was statistically similar to seven countries, including Canada (527) and Australia (520).
• New Zealand’s 15-year-olds performed significantly better, on average, than 44 of the 56 other PISA countries reported in PISA 2006, including Australia (520), the United Kingdom (495) and the United States (474).

 

Two highest levels of mathematical  proficiency (Level 5 and Level 6)

New Zealand 15-year-olds

• Nineteen percent of New Zealand’s 15-year-olds demonstrated that they could successfully complete the majority of tasks requiring proficiency Level 5 or higher (6 percent of these students performed at Level 6).

OECD average

• Across the 30 OECD countries, 13 percent of students, on average, achieved Level 5 or higher (3 percent of these students reached Level 6).

 

Lowest levels of mathematical  proficiency (Level 1 or lower)

New Zealand 15-year-olds (on average)

• At the lower end of the continuum, 14 percent of New Zealand students were at or below Level 1 (4 percent of these students did not reach Level 1).

OECD average

• A fifth (21%) of students from OECD countries, on average, were at the lowest end of the proficiency continuum (8 percent of these students did not reach Level 1).

 

PISA 2006 Questionnaires

Student Background Questionnaire and Student Information, Communications and Technology Familiarity Questionnaire

PISA Student Questionnaire [file size: 676KB]

PISA School Questionnaire [file size: 390KB]

PISA Parent Questionnaire [file size: 347KB]

PISA administered a parent questionnaire for the first time in 2006. The questionnaire was designed to increase our understanding of the relationship between student achievement and their family. The Ministry of Education is grateful to the excellent support received from the families of the participating students. Over 3,500 parents completed this questionnaire.

PISA 2006 Informational Material and Promotional Posters

PISA 2006 Principals and Teachers brochure [file size: 332KB]

PISA 2006 Poster for School [file size: 2.59MB]

Maree Telford

Maree Telford is New Zealand's National Project Manager for PISA 2006. If you have any questions about PISA, please contact Maree at: New Zealand's National Project Manager, PISA 2006 Research Division Ministry of Education PO Box 1666 | Thorndon, Wellington New Zealand Email: Maree.Telford@minedu.govt.nz [no spam] Phone: +64 4-463 8831 | Fax:+64 4-463 8312

Publications

The Ministry of Education has published a number of research reports based on the three-yearly PISA assessments, starting 2000. These are available from the PISA publication home page.