Page 57 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
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ow Reading Achievement 57
in PISA 2009
Mojca Štraus
Abstract: When results of PISA 2009 were published, showing that Slovenian
15-year-old students’ reading literacy achievement was lower than the OECD av-
erage as well as the EU average (OECD, 2010a), questions were raised in Slove-
nia about students’ (non-)achievement in reading literacy. Reading literacy was
highlighted since, in contrast, the achievements in scientific and mathematical lit-
eracies were above average. The central issue addressed in this paper are the dif-
ferences that can be observed in how student background factors relate to their
achievement, in particular when this is observed in groups of low-, medium- and
higher-achieving students respectively. Such observations of differences can give
an insight into how low-achieving students differ from others and therefore into
the possible levers that could be used to foster improvement in reading for these
particular students and, consequently, for all of them. Findings about such differ-
ences may provide an important starting point for further work for all students.
Analyses are presented for the population of students in Year 1 of their upper-sec-
ondary educational programmes for which PISA 2009 data were collected.
Key words: PISA, reading literacy, low achievement
Introduction
As defined in the basic starting points of PISA 2009 (OECD, 2009), reading lit-
eracy includes a wide range of cognitive competencies, from basic decoding,
to knowledge of words, grammar and larger linguistic and textual structures
and features, to knowledge about the world. It also includes the awareness of,
and ability to use, a variety of appropriate strategies when processing texts.
in PISA 2009
Mojca Štraus
Abstract: When results of PISA 2009 were published, showing that Slovenian
15-year-old students’ reading literacy achievement was lower than the OECD av-
erage as well as the EU average (OECD, 2010a), questions were raised in Slove-
nia about students’ (non-)achievement in reading literacy. Reading literacy was
highlighted since, in contrast, the achievements in scientific and mathematical lit-
eracies were above average. The central issue addressed in this paper are the dif-
ferences that can be observed in how student background factors relate to their
achievement, in particular when this is observed in groups of low-, medium- and
higher-achieving students respectively. Such observations of differences can give
an insight into how low-achieving students differ from others and therefore into
the possible levers that could be used to foster improvement in reading for these
particular students and, consequently, for all of them. Findings about such differ-
ences may provide an important starting point for further work for all students.
Analyses are presented for the population of students in Year 1 of their upper-sec-
ondary educational programmes for which PISA 2009 data were collected.
Key words: PISA, reading literacy, low achievement
Introduction
As defined in the basic starting points of PISA 2009 (OECD, 2009), reading lit-
eracy includes a wide range of cognitive competencies, from basic decoding,
to knowledge of words, grammar and larger linguistic and textual structures
and features, to knowledge about the world. It also includes the awareness of,
and ability to use, a variety of appropriate strategies when processing texts.
