PIRLS 2005/2006 in New Zealand: An overview of national findings from the second cycle of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)
This document provides an overview of the national-level results from New Zealand's participation in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2005/2006. This report focuses on the reading literacy achievement of Year 5 students by their ethnicity, and their home and school context. PIRLS-2005/2006 was administered in New Zealand in November 2005.
Author: Megan Chamberlain, Research Division [Ministry of Education]Date Published: October 2008
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- Acknowledgements
- Summary
- Section 1: Background
- Section 2: Student Results
- Section 3: The PIRLS International Benchmarks
- Section 4: Purposes for Reading and Processes of Reading
- Section 5: Students' Reading Attitudes and Home Context
- Section 6: Schools and School Climate
- Section 7: Overview
- Appendix A: ...
- Appendix B: ...
- Appendix C: ...
- Appendix D: ...
- Technical Notes and References
- References
- Downloads
Appendix D: Countries which Showed Improvements from 2001 to 2005/2006
Eight countries recorded significant increases in their students’ mean reading literacy achievement, and the average performance of students in three of these countries – the Russian Federation, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore – had been about the same as New Zealand in 2001. These three countries recorded the largest increases between the two cycles. Slovenia also recorded a relatively large increase in mean achievement.
Because of the sizeable shifts in achievement for these four countries, it is worth examining the context (structural and curricular) in which the changes occurred. The detail for this is described in both the PIRLS 2001 and PIRLS 2006 encyclopedias. However, the information in Box D.1 encapsulates some of the details of the changes for these systems.
Box D.1: Context for changes in achievement in four countries in PIRLS-05/06
| Russian Federation | Hong Kong SAR | Singapore | Slovenia |
| Structural: Primary education increased from 3 years to 4 years, with children to start at 6 years (rather than at age 7). In practice, children are still starting at 7. In 2001 about half of the Russian PIRLS cohort was still in the 3-year school system; by 2006 it had been completed. Average age increased over the cycle from 10.3 to 10.8 years. Curriculum: Since 1998 there has been a major shift to ‘literary reading’ as part of philology (reading and writing in Russian). Compulsory content for the course includes techniques of reading; exposure to the world of books, including classic, modern, and foreign children’s books, etc; and different genres of reading. This has been accompanied by increased usage of informational-type texts in other curriculum areas such as history and mathematics. | Curriculum: Reforms in 2000 established clear reading goals for schools, including extensive work to promote children’s reading comprehension skills in both Chinese and English. Schools were given the authority to adjust their curriculum and schedule to meet the literary needs of students. Teachers were encouraged to extend the range of teaching materials used in lessons. Another initiative was ‘Reading Mothers’, who were trained to work in schools to help students when reading stories. PIRLS-01 results raised further concerns about whether or not Hong Kong was meeting the literacy needs of its students. Special workshops were held for primary and pre-school teachers and parents about reading. | Curriculum: A new syllabus was being implemented in 2001, when PIRLS was first administered, with implementation completed up to Grade 3. A wider range of instructional materials was used than previously. Learning outcomes were specified at 2-year intervals for English-language learning (including reading). This has given teachers more explicit information about the teaching of language at different schooling levels. The syllabus is under review again, with a focus on teaching approaches for diverse students and assessment practices. | Structural: Primary education increased from 8 years to 9 years, with children now starting at 6 years (rather than at age 7). This change has been implemented gradually since 1999. In 2001 children in their 3rd year of schooling were tested in PIRLS. By 2006 about half had had 4 years of schooling, so the average age is still about the same. The main purpose for changing the number of years in school was to improve literacy. |
Note
Russian Federation students were assessed in Russian, Hong Kong SAR students in Modern Standard Chinese, Singaporean students in English, and Slovenian students in Slovenian.
Source: PIRLS 2001 encyclopedia (Mullis, Martin, Kennedy, & Flaherty, 2002) and PIRLS 2006 encyclopedia (Kennedy, et al., 2007)