Learning in the Age of AI

TIMSS/PIRLS: Reactions from Asia’s Top Performers

Published by

yeeeducation

on

Handwringing and head scratching around the 2011 TIMSS and PIRLS results released yesterday continue around the globe. While Western countries show great admiration of the outstanding scores of East Asia and lament on their own abysmal performance, the East Asian education systems, while celebrating their achievement, are worried about something that the media in Western countries rarely mentions. Here are some examples:

Japan:

“But enthusiasm for studying science was below the global average among Japanese second-year junior high students. The fourth-graders interest in arithmetic was also below the world average.” –Japan Times

Singapore:

Nevertheless, the study showed that the Republic still has to work on students’ confidence in approaching the subjects of math and science. TIMMS, which measured this component for the first time, saw Singaporean students exhibiting positive learning attitudes.

However, their confidence levels were found to be lower compared to students in other education systems. —Today Online

Hong Kong:

Hong Kong students reading scores topped the world but their motivation to read ranked bottom, with only 54% of students reported that they were motivated to reading, far below the international average of 74%. They also ranked low in reading interest and confidence.

Professor Xie of Hong Kong Institute of Education, who is in charge of the study, found similar situations in Taiwan, Korea, and other test-oriented countries and regions. Using Hong Kong as an example, there is a tradition that both parents and teachers value tests and demand students to study hard, even when they have no interest.–Translated from Mingpao

Chinese Taipei (Taiwan):

Despite the outstanding achievement in TIMSS and PIRLS, the studies show that students have less positive attitude to and low confidence in math, science, and reading. There is also a gap between rural and urban students. The Ministry of Education proposed the following strategies: 1. Reform the entire education system, lower academic pressure, break the shackles of testing, and give back students the joy of learning… –Translated from World People News

One response to “TIMSS/PIRLS: Reactions from Asia’s Top Performers”

  1. TIMSS/PIRLS: Reactions from Asia’s Top Performers | Don't forget to play

    […] http://zhaolearning.com/2012/12/16/timsspirls-the-asian-reactions/ […]

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

More about Yong Zhao

Dr. Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas. He previously served as the Presidential Chair, Associate Dean, and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a Professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. Prior to Oregon, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology, executive director of the Confucius Institute, as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. Additionally, he worked as a professor of educational leadership in the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne and senior researcher at the Mitchell Institute of Victoria University in Australia. He was a visiting Global Professor at University of Bath and a visiting scholar at Warwick University in the UK.

Recent posts