German pupils achieve worst result ever in Pisa study
Last year, the researchers tested the performance of 15-year-olds in 81 countries in the areas of mathematics, science and reading skills. Compared to the previous study from 2018, performance in Germany was worse in all three areas. They were also below the results from 2001, when the first Pisa study caused a shock in Germany, which subsequently led to considerable educational policy efforts and initially to improved performance.
Francesco Avvisati, co-author of the Pisa study from the OECD, said in Berlin that there had been a deterioration in Germany "on a scale never seen before". Results had been achieved at a level that would have been expected of 14-year-olds a few years previously. In other words, one year of education was missing.
Three out of ten pupils were below the minimum requirements in mathematics. This has a considerable impact on their lives. When shopping, for example, these young people have difficulty deciding whether a special offer is worthwhile.
The group of underachieving German pupils grew in all areas. Without additional support, they will not be able to cope with the challenges of further school and professional life, according to the study authors. At the same time, the group of high-achieving pupils in Germany has become smaller. This includes ten percent in science, nine percent in mathematics and eight percent in reading skills.
The German Pisa project manager Doris Lewalter said that overall the results showed "that there is a great need for action in the education system in Germany". To explain the reasons for the poorer results, Lewalter pointed out that Germany was not prepared for the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the student body was significantly more heterogeneous than in previous Pisa studies. According to the study, 39% of the young people tested had a migration background. Ten years ago, this figure was only 25 percent.
This year's Pisa study focused on mathematics skills. There was a considerable decline in motivation and interest in mathematics among German pupils. One of the reasons given by the study is that teaching does not take into account the realities of young people's lives.
The authors of the study recommended that policymakers strengthen reading skills from nursery school to pre-school through to secondary school. Overall, a consistent and continuous further development of teaching is necessary, said Lewalter.
The President of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), Berlin's Senator for Education Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU), said: "We are far from satisfied with the findings." The KMK is currently sharpening its recommendations for elementary school and is preparing to significantly strengthen German and mathematics lessons. "In particular, we need targeted language support that starts in early education and accompanies learners for longer." Immigrant young people need special support.
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) explained that the need for action in the education system could not be greater. Education must be at the top of the agenda in every cabinet of every state government. "As the federal government, we are ready to provide massive support to the responsible states."
Around 690,000 pupils aged 15 from 81 countries took part in the Pisa test organized at schools for the new publication in 2022; in Germany, there were 6,116 participants. In the areas of mathematics and reading literacy, the performance of German pupils was close to the average of the OECD countries, while in the area of science it was slightly higher.
Pupils from Singapore were well ahead in all three areas of competence tested. Overall, Asian countries and economies performed best, with Japan, South Korea and separately considered Chinese regions also among the best performers in all areas. From Europe, only the students from Estonia achieved results in all three areas that put them in the top group.
Read also:
- The PISA study from the OECD, co-authored by Francesco Avvisati, revealed that German pupils experienced a substantial decline in performance in all tested areas during the last Pisa study.
- The poor results in mathematics, science, and reading skills among German pupils in the PISA study led to a shock similar to the one seen in 2001, which initiated significant educational policy efforts.
- In mathematics, three out of every ten German pupils failed to meet the minimum requirements, which could have considerable consequences in their daily lives, such as difficulties deciding on special offers while shopping.
- The PISA study also showed that the group of underachieving pupils in Germany expanded across all three competency areas, making it harder for them to meet the challenges of further education and professional life.
- On the other hand, the group of high-achieving pupils in Germany, including ten percent in science, nine percent in mathematics, and eight percent in reading skills, shrank.
- Doris Lewalter, the German PISA project manager, pointed out that the education system in Germany had a significant need for improvement, citing Germany's lack of preparedness and the more heterogeneous nature of its pupil population in comparison to previous PISA studies as potential reasons for the poorer results.
- The authors of the study strongly recommended policymakers focus on enhancing reading skills in early education and continuously develop teaching methods to better address the realities of young people's lives, to ultimately boost pupils' interest and motivation in mathematics.
- In response to the concerns raised by the PISA study, Katharina Günther-Wünsch, the Senator for Education in Berlin and president of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), declared the results were not satisfactory and detailed plans to strengthen German and mathematics lessons.
- Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Education Minister, agreed that the need for action in the education system could not be more pressing and pledged the federal government's commitment to providing extensive support to affected state governments to improve the overall education system in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
