Portfolio: Integrating Writing, Learning and Assessment

This chapter examines portfolio assessment as a tool to support learning by integrating writing in various learning tasks and environments. The author argues that the constructivist and socioconstructivist views of learning necessitate new ideas also in the assessment where the learners have the main role and where the partnership between students and teachers has to be renegotiated. In particular, renegotiation is needed in making decisions on assessment criteria for writing and learning that respect learners’ individuality and diversity and empower students with regard to their learning. The learning, assessment and negotiation can take place in various ways and environments. Accordingly,…

Finnish Students' School Engagement Profiles in the Light of PISA 2003

The aim of this study is to examine Finnish students' school engagement profiles in the light of the data collected in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) in 2003. Even though Finnish students' cognitive achievement has proved excellent in various international assessments, their school engagement has not been flattering. The article first defines the concept of school engagement and discusses some previous findings on students' attitudes and socio‐emotional disposition towards school life. Next, on the basis of students' responses to the PISA 2003 survey questionnaire, students are grouped and the groups profiled by cluster analysis into six distinct clusters in terms…

Aikuisten avaintaitojen kansainvälinen arviointi – monitahoinen ja jännitteinen

”Osaamista ei tulisi arvioida vain taloudellisen tai sivistyksellisen pääoman tuottajana, vaan myös sosiaalisen oikeudenmukaisuuden ja yksilöiden elämänlaadun näkökulmasta. Monet kansainväliset arvioinnit ovat jo osoittaneet, että niiden kansakuntien, jotka huolehtivat parhaiten heikoimmasta väestönosastaan, kehittyminen on ollut kestävintä niin sivistyksellisesti kuin taloudellisestikin.”

Tulevaisuuden osaajat : Pisa 2000 Suomessa

Exploring the Secret of Finnish Reading Literacy Achievement

Abstract The article describes and analyzes the main findings of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Reading Literacy Study in Finland. The initial analyses indicate that in the international comparison the Finnish students had the highest literacy levels at both 9 and 14 years of age among the 31 participating nations. Possible explanations for the high scores are suggested and discussed from both Nordic and national points of view. In order to relate the reading performance not only internationally but also to the previous assessments, the results on some subtests are compared with the corresponding tests in the 1970 IEA reading comprehension …

Quality of School Life in the Finnish Comprehensive School: a comparative view

Abstract The article attempts to answer the questions of how Finnish students experience the quality of school life as a whole and how students’ well‐being and social interaction in the Finnish comprehensive school compare with some other countries on the basis of extensive international comparative data. First, the concept ‘quality of school life’ and the self‐assessment instrument are described. Second, the validity of the instrument is explored. Next, the results of the assessment are first discussed from the national and then from the international perspective, comparing the data collected as a sub‐survey of the IEA Study of Reading Literacy in March 1991. The Finnish school is contrast…

Factors behind low reading literacy achievement

The initial results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicated that Finnish and Swedish students are among the best readers in all OECD countries. However, the literac ...

Osaaminen kestävällä pohjalla : PISA 2003 Suomessa

Nordic PISA 2000 in a sociocultural perspective

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international study coordinated by governments of participating countries, through the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Dev...

Finnish students' multiliteracy profiles

Finnish students' multiliteracy profiles are examined from the perspectives of both traditional printed reading and Internet activities in the light of the data collected as a national option integrated into the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 study. After reciting some previous findings on reader profiles as revealed by the initial international analyses of PISA data, the perspective is widened to encompass multiliteracy, which is defined according to the sociocultural view. Based on responses to a survey questionnaire, students were grouped by cluster analysis into six distinct clusters according to the frequency with which they read diverse printed materials an…

Pisa 2000

The Finnish success in Pisa - and some reasons behind it : 2 Pisa 2003

The success of Finnish students in PISA has been a great joy but at the same time a somewhat puzzling experience to all those responsible for and making decisions about education in Finland. At a single stroke, PISA has transformed our conceptions of the quality of the work done at our comprehensive school and of the foundations it has laid for Finland's future education and development of knowledge. Thanks to PISA, Finnish schools and school practices have suddenly been brought into the focus of international attention. Why are Finnish students performing so well? What is the secret behind the Finnish success? In this publication, we as the researchers responsible for the implementation of…