Survey – National Assessment and Examinations Center

PIRLS 2021 International Results in Reading

On Tuesday, the 16^th the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) published the results of PIRLS 2021 (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study).

In 2021, the number of countries participating in the study increased to 57. A total of 346,992 students worldwide took part in the international study. 5,637 students from 190 schools participated in PIRLS 2021 from Georgia.

The PIRLS 2021 study was conducted under different circumstances compared to previous cycles due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. A large number of students were switched to distance learning mode, therefore, the number of students in the classrooms of the schools selected for testing was less than the acceptable percentage of the reliability of the study. This is why, according to the decision of the IEA, in 14 countries (United States of America, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Qatar, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, Croatia, Georgia), students wrote the test in the fall instead of the spring of 2021, and in 6 countries the test was conducted one year later. Therefore, a new stream of fourth-graders took part in the test in these countries.

Considering the mentioned circumstances, the IEA highly recommended not to compare the results of the countries that wrote the test in the fall with the results of the countries that completed the test in the spring.

During the testing period, the average age of students in Georgia was 5 months higher than the average age of students in most countries. A similar situation existed in 13 other countries, where, due to the age difference, it was difficult to compare with the previous cycles. PIRLS data indicated a substantial deterioration in achievement in the vast majority of participating countries.

It should be noted that Georgia is not in the list of countries where the average literacy score has decreased.

Along with the evaluation of the student’s achievements in literacy, the task of the research is to study the impact of school, teacher and family factors on the student’s literacy achievements and the formation of literacy skills. The impact of these factors on student achievement, the main findings and results of the research will be presented later in the form of a national research report.

At this stage, some general findings can be introduced:

Out of the 57 countries included in the study, only in 6 countries are boys able to have similar achievements in literacy as girls. In the remaining 51 countries, including Georgia, girls have better literacy achievements than boys. In none of the countries included in the study do boys have an advantage over girls. In Georgia, the difference between the achievements of students by gender is statistically significant and is maintained throughout the entire research cycle;
According to recent studies, a comparative analysis of urban and rural schools in Georgia shows the advantage of urban schools in the literacy achievement of students, although the 2021 study shows a reduction in the gap between rural and urban schools due to the improvement of rural school achievement. Improvements in rural school student outcomes were also seen in the 2019 Math and Science Achievement Scores (TIMSS 2019);
In the 2021 study, a statistically significant difference between the achievement of students in private and public schools remained. Private school students do better on literacy tasks.

PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) is an international literacy study of fourth-grade students conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) since 2001.

Georgia participated in the last four cycles (2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021). The research group of the National Assessment and Examinations Center is leading the PIRLS in Georgia. The research aims to evaluate the reading skills of 9-10-year-old (fourth-grade) students and determine the impact of such contextual factors as the learning environment, parental involvement, school management, teacher qualifications, information and communication technologies, etc., on the student’s learning process.

PIRLS focuses on the reading goals and comprehension processes of fiction and informational texts. Half of the PIRLS assessment focuses on acquiring literary expertise, and the other half focuses on acquiring and using information.

More on PIRLS 2021 can be explored in English at the link.

Reading in Georgia | PIRLS 2021 has Started

Some 5716 pupils and 261 teachers from 192 schools will represent Georgia in Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021 during October 11 – 20.

Dr. Sophia Gorgodze, the Director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center discussed the ongoing PIRLS 2021 Study in Georgia

PIRLS is an international assessment of reading comprehension, which follows four years of primary schooling. The International Reading Literacy Study is conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in up to 60 countries and 15 regions around the world. Georgia has been involved in this study since 2006 and has since participated in the 2011 and 2016 studies.

The NAEC is responsible for administering the study locally with the support of school principals and teachers.

This year PIRLS will focus on reading objectives and comprehension process. 4 important components of the reading comprehension process will be evaluated: finding and understanding the information given in the test assignment; making conclusions from the text; interpreting thoughts and information and integrating with existing knowledge; evaluating and critical understanding of the content and textual elements.

Currently, the PIRLS definition of reading literacy is as follows:
“Reading literacy is the ability to understand and use those written language forms
required by society and/or valued by the individual. Readers can construct meaning
from texts in a variety of forms. They read to learn, to participate in communities of
readers in school and everyday life, and for enjoyment.”

The study aims to collect considerable background information from the assessed 9-10-year-old students, their parents, teachers and school principals on how education systems provide educational opportunities to their students, as well as the factors that influence how students use these opportunities. Background data include information about: national curriculum policies in reading; how the education system is organized to facilitate learning; students’ home environment for learning; school climate and resources; and how instruction actually occurs in classrooms. Trend results across assessments permit countries to monitor the effectiveness of their educational systems in a global context.

The PIRLS assessment provides internationally comparable data about how well children read together with information on student home support for literacy, curriculum and curriculum implementation, instructional practices, and school resources.

The NAEC prepares national reports and disseminates them among policy makers and school community members. PIRLS results are discussed at National Education Conferences with teachers, school leaders, education specialists, researchers, and policy makers.

The Latest Findings of International Researches (TIMSS, TALIS, PISA) Have Been Discussed During the Workshop at the NAEC

Zakaria Giunashvili, the Head of the Research and Psychometrics Group and Giorgi Ratiani, the Coordinator of the Research Group introduced the significant factors identified during the latest international research (PISA, TALIS, TIMSS) that have an impact on students’ achievement and social-emotional development.

“It is crucial to organize such gatherings. Hopefully, todays discussion will encourage education specialists and decision makers to draw more attention to the latest findings of international and national research and plan education policy accordingly. ”
Sophia Gorgodze, the Director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center

The workshop was attended by the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Ekaterine Dgebuadze, representatives from various educational institutions, as well as teachers and school principals that participated in the research. During the meeting, a discussion was held, which mainly focused on the analysis of the improved achievements of IV grade students in rural schools in Georgia that have been highlighted by Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

“The increase in results in rural schools was due to the fact that there was a complex approach based on support from the state. Teachers were given an opportunity to listen to subject trainings, at the same time they had the opportunity to include a variety of educational resources in the learning process. It is noteworthy that the culture of teacher cooperation has increased – we share our opinions, even about subject trainings, methods, strategies and we are more focused on the success of a particular student. “
Sophio Kublashvili, the director of Mukhrani №1 public school.

Research is an important direction of the National Assessment and Examinations Center. The center has been involved in international educational research (PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS, TALIS) and conducting national assessments for more than fourteen years.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019

The National Assessment and Examinations Center offers the results of Georgia within the framework of an international survey on Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

Conducted every four years since 1995, TIMSS has been a valuable tool for monitoring international trends in mathematics and science achievement at the fourth and eighth grades. Georgia was first involved in 2007 and since then has participated in TIMSS 2011, 2015 and 2019. Georgia was represented by both 4th and 8th grades. The study was administered by the National Assessment and Examinations Center.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) enables participating countries assess their education system, existing teaching practices, and identify obstacles to teaching mathematics and science. The study evaluates the achievement dynamics of the same educational level student compared to previous cycles, and also shows whether student achievement has changed over the years at different stages of learning process in the country (primary and lower secondary).

64 countries participated in TIMSS 2019. 58 countries and 6 regions participated in fourth grade assessment, and 39 countries and 7 regions participated in eighth grade assessment.

From 2019, TIMSS switched to electronic assessment (e-TIMSS). Before stepping towards e-Assessment Georgia conducted a transitional Bridge research. The research fieldwork was conducted from April 24 to May 29, 2019. 226 schools from Tbilisi and different regions of the country participated in the TIMSS 2019 cycle throughout Georgia. A total of 154 fourth (6,002 students) and 145 eighth graders (5,698 students) participated.

Specially designed questionnaires were also completed by school principals, teachers and parents / guardians of fourth graders.

The report can be found here.

The presentation in Georgian can be seen here.

The presentation in English can be downloaded from here.Download

In addition, for the first time, interested parties will have an opportunity to visit the TIMSS website and receive information about the main data of the 2019 survey in Georgian.

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 Results, Georgia

On 8^th of December the National Assessment and Examinations Center published the results of Georgia within the framework of an international survey on Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

Today, an international presentation of the TIMSS 2019 report was held by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The event, which was attended by education professionals and accredited journalists from all over the world, covered the main findings and challenges of the research. Sophio Gorgodze, the Director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center also participated in the following discussion.

64 countries participated in TIMSS 2019. 58 countries and 6 regions participated in fourth grade assessment, and 39 countries and 7 regions participated in eighth grade assessment.

Specially designed questionnaires were also completed by school principals, teachers and parents / guardians of fourth graders.

The international average score is 500.

The results of Georgia in 2019:

Mathematics (4th grade) – 482 points;

Mathematics (8th grade) – 461;

Natural Sciences (4th grade) – 454;

Natural Sciences (8th grade) – 447.

The results of the research revealed that in the 2019, Georgian fourth-graders significantly improved their achievements in mathematics. Georgia was also named among the five countries that have increased the most compared to 2015.

“These results of the study show the progress as well as the current challenges. Advancement is really obvious. It is clear that the results of the fourth graders have improved in mathematics, and in one direction (direction-numbers) for the first time since 2007 exceeded the international average. Achievements in eighth grade mathematics and science at both levels remain a challenge, with only minor improvements that are not statistically significant; However, if we look at the data in rural and urban contexts, it appears that rural fourth-graders have significantly improved their results in natural science. Also, according to the available data, the differences in the achievement between rural and urban schools are decreasing and almost eliminated. ”
Sophia Gorgodze, the Director of the National Assessment and Examinations Center.

The initial report and presentation of Georgia can be found here.

In addition, for the first time, interested parties will have an opportunity to visit the TIMSS website and receive information about the main data of the 2019 survey in Georgian.

Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals (TALIS) 2018 Report, Georgia

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the largest international survey asking teachers and school leaders about their working conditions and learning environments. It provides a barometer of the profession every five years.

Georgia has been involved in TALIS since 2013. In 2018 Georgia’s participation was made possible through the financial support of Second Compact of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with Georgia, administered by Millennium Challenge Account – Georgia (MCA-Georgia).

Across all survey components, approximatively 260 000 teachers responded to the survey, representing more than 8 million teachers in 48 participating countries and economies. In Georgia, 3 101 lower secondary teachers and 177 principals completed the TALIS questionnaires.

Based on the voice of teachers and school leaders, TALIS 2018 report offers a series of policy recommendations to help strengthen the professionalisation of teaching careers. The report aims to provide an in-depth analysis of teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of the value of their profession, their work-related well-being and stress, and their satisfaction with their working conditions. It also offers a description of teachers’ and school leaders’ contractual arrangements, opportunities to engage in professional tasks such as collaborative teamwork, autonomous decision making, and leadership practices.

Nine main themes were selected for inclusion in the TALIS 2018 survey: teachers’ instructional practices; school leadership; teachers’ professional practices; teacher education and initial preparation; teacher feedback and development; school climate; job satisfaction; teacher human resource issues and stakeholder relations; and teacher self-efficacy. Two cross-cutting themes were added to this list: innovation; and equity and diversity.

A detailed report of TALIS 2018 country-by-country can be found here.