Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 - global competence: results - highlights

Chapter 2: Global Competence

10. In the 2018 cycle of data collection, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessed 15-year-old students' global competence. Global competence is defined as:

A multidimensional capacity that encompasses the ability to examine global and intercultural issues, understand and appreciate different perspectives and viewpoints, interact successfully and respectfully with others, and take action for collective well-being and sustainable development.

Assessing Global Competence

11. As defined in PISA 2018, global competence is composed of four highly interdependent dimensions:

• the capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global and cultural significance (e.g. poverty, economic interdependence, migration, inequality, environmental risks, conflicts, cultural differences and stereotypes)
• the capacity to understand and appreciate different perspectives and worldviews
• the ability to establish positive interactions with people of different national, ethnic, religious, social or cultural backgrounds or gender; and
• the capacity and disposition to take constructive action towards sustainable development and collective well-being.

12. In order to assess these different dimensions, the PISA 2018 global competence assessment comprised two instruments:

• a cognitive test focused on the cognitive aspects including knowledge and cognitive skills of three dimensions of global competence: examining issues of local, global and cultural significance; understanding and appreciating the perspectives and worldviews of others; and taking action for collective well-being and sustainable development.
• a set of questionnaire items collecting self-reported information on students' awareness of global issues and cultures, skills (both cognitive and social) and attitudes, and information from schools, teachers and parents on activities to promote global competence. The student questionnaire covered all four dimensions of global competence.

13. Students in 27 countries/economies, including Scotland, sat both the global competence cognitive test and completed the global competence questionnaire items; students in a further 39 countries/economies completed the global competence module in the questionnaire only.

Figure description

The four aspects of global competence are knowledge, cognitive skills, social skills and attitudes and values.
Knowledge and cognitive skills are assessed in the cognitive test.
Knowledge, cognitive skills and social skills and attitudes are assessed in the student questionnaire.
Values is beyond the scope of the PISA assessment.

The PISA global competence cognitive test

14. The global competence test was undertaken in 27 countries and economies and was fully integrated into the assessment design together with the core domains of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy.

Table 2.1: 27 countries that undertook the global competence cognitive test

(*OECD member)

Albania
Brunei Darussalam
Canada*
Chile*
Chinese Taipei
Colombia*
Costa Rica
Croatia
Greece*
Hong Kong (China)
Indonesia
Israel*
Kazakhstan
Korea*
Latvia*
Lithuania*
Malta
Morocco
Panama
Philippines
Russian Federation
Serbia
Singapore
Slovak Republic*
Spain*
Thailand
Scotland (United Kingdom)*

The PISA global competence student questionnaire

15. The PISA assessments are supplemented by background questionnaires. Students were asked about their motivations for study, attitudes to school, views on reading and studying, and their socio-economic background. In 2018, the student questionnaire included self-reported information on students' awareness of global issues and cultures, skills (both cognitive and social) and attitudes. Sixty-six countries/economies included global competence questions as part of the PISA student questionnaire.

Table 2.2: Countries that took part in the PISA global competence questionnaire (*OECD member)

Albania
Argentina
Australia*
Austria*
Baku (Azerbaijan)
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Canada*
Chile*
Chinese Taipei
Colombia*
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Dominican Republic
Estonia*
North Macedonia
France*
Germany*
Greece*
Hong Kong (China)
Hungary*
Iceland*
Indonesia
Ireland*
Israel*
Italy*
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korea*
Kosovo
Latvia*
Lebanon
Lithuania*
Macao (China)
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico*
Montenegro
Morocco
New Zealand*
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland*
Portugal*
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovak Republic*
Slovenia*
Spain*
Switzerland*
Thailand
Turkey*
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Scotland (United Kingdom)*
Uruguay
Viet Nam