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Policy impact of PISA on mathematics education: the case of Norway

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Abstract

This article addresses the policy implications of participation in international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), particularly the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the ways in which such implications might influence mathematics education. Taking Norway as a special case, this discussion focuses on insights into teaching, learning and assessment practices that can be inferred from the PISA study, and how participation in ILSAs has contributed to educational policy and even changed policymakers’ perspectives on schools, teachers and students. Following publication of the PISA 2000 results, Norway experienced a ‘PISA shock’, leading to the implementation of a national quality assessment system and national tests. In addition, changes were made to the mathematics curriculum for compulsory school and to mathematics teacher education. More recently, public debate has focused less on rank and league tables, shifting instead to the high number of low-achieving students and the low number of high achievers. Moreover, there has been little uptake of policy advice provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which focuses on strengthening accountability measures. Furthermore, although the Norwegian educational system in the past decade has undergone a decentralisation process, the educational system still follows the Nordic model, which focuses on equity and ‘education for all’. Analyses of the Norwegian case indicate that policymaking takes place in highly cultural contexts, and that international studies might be used merely to validate existing policy directions.

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Notes

  1. Please see https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php?title=Norway:Quality_Assuranceandprintable=yes for further information about QAS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo, Norway, P.O. Box 1099, Blindern, 0317, Oslo, Norway

    Guri A. Nortvedt

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  1. Guri A. Nortvedt
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Guri A. Nortvedt. Department for Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo, Norway, P.O. Box 1099 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway. E-mail: g.a.nortvedt@ils.uio.no

Current themes of research:

Gender and mathematics. Language aspects of doing and learning mathematics. Assessment in mathematics education.

Most relevant publications:

Nortvedt, G. A. (2011). Coping strategies applied to comprehend multistep arithmetic word problems by students with above-average numeracy skills and below-average reading skills. Journal for Mathematical Behavior, 30(3), 255–269. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2011.04.003

Nortvedt, G. A. (2013). Are girls or boys better at mathematics? A commentary on the game of reporting gender differnces. In A. M. Lindmeier & A. Heinze (Eds.), Proceedings of the 37th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 3). Kiel: PME.

Nortvedt, G. A., Gustafsson, J.-E., Lehre, A. C. W. (2016). The importance of instructional quality for the relation between achievement in reading and mathematics, In T. Nilsen & J.-E. Gustafsson (Eds.), Teacher Quality, Instructional Quality and Student Outcome. Relationships Across Countries, Cohorts and Time, (pp. 97–113). Dordrecht: Springer.

Nortvedt, G. A., Santos, L., Pinto, J. (2016). Assessment for Learning in Norway and Portugal: the case of primary school mathematics teaching. Assessment in education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 23(3), 377–395. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2015.1108900

Pettersen, A., & Nortvedt, G. A. (2017). Identifying competency demands in mathematical tasks: recognising what matters. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, online first, 1–17.

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Nortvedt, G.A. Policy impact of PISA on mathematics education: the case of Norway. Eur J Psychol Educ 33, 427–444 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-018-0378-9

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