Implications of PISA Outcomes for Science Curriculum Reform in the Netherlands

Abstract

As the PISA 2006 results came out, the Netherlands briefly celebrated their 9th position in the overall country ranking for science. After that, interest in the PISA results rapidly declined. Nevertheless, there is sufficient reason to take a closer look at the PISA results, for instance because (a) our neighbours are catching up, (b) currently ambitious curriculum innovation programmes are being conducted in most of secondary education, and (c) fierce debates are going on about the merits of the proposed innovations. The pressing question is: are we heading in the right direction? To answer this question we additionally analysed PISA 2006 data, we identified strengths and weaknesses at the item level, and we analysed the student data for those specific items. As a reference for comparative analyses across countries, we used a relevant peer group of seven neighbouring countries. Main findings include that Dutch students do well on highly contextualized items, interpretation of graphs and Knowledge of Science. Dutch students perform relatively weak on items with low context and on multiple response items. In addition, Dutch students in secondary vocational education have specific difficulty in answering open-constructed response items. A major issue in the Netherlands is the low science attitudes and self-concept of students in secondary education. In view of those results, recent efforts to promote and improve science education might be well on track. However, we also identify some policy threats, especially when it comes to Knowledge about Science.

Appendix: PISA items

Read the texts and answer the questions that follow.

1.1 The Greenhouse Effect: Fact or Fiction?

Living things need energy to survive. The energy that sustains life on the Earth comes from the Sun, which radiates energy into space because it is so hot. A tiny proportion of this energy reaches the Earth.

The Earth’s atmosphere acts like a protective blanket over the surface of our planet, preventing the variations in temperature that would exist in an airless world.

Most of the radiated energy coming from the Sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth absorbs some of this energy, and some is reflected back from the Earth’s surface. Part of this reflected energy is absorbed by the atmosphere.

As a result of this the average temperature above the Earth’s surface is higher than it would be if there were no atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere has the same effect as a greenhouse, hence the term greenhouse effect.

The greenhouse effect is said to have become more pronounced during the twentieth century.

It is a fact that the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere has increased. In newspapers and periodicals the increased carbon dioxide emission is often stated as the main source of the temperature rise in the twentieth century.

A student named André becomes interested in the possible relationship between the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and the carbon dioxide emission on the Earth. In a library he comes across the following two graphs.

André concludes from these two graphs that it is certain that the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere is due to the increase in the carbon dioxide emission.

Question 3: GREENHOUSE  S114Q03

What is it about the graphs that supports André’s conclusion?

Question 4: GREENHOUSE  S114Q04

Another student, Jeanne, disagrees with André’s conclusion. She compares the two graphs and says that some parts of the graphs do not support his conclusion.

Give an example of a part of the graphs that does not support André’s conclusion. Explain your answer.

Question 5: GREENHOUSE  S114Q05

André persists in his conclusion that the average temperature rise of the Earth’s atmosphere is caused by the increase in the carbon dioxide emission. But Jeanne thinks that his conclusion is premature. She says: “Before accepting this conclusion you must be sure that other factors that could influence the greenhouse effect are constant”.

Name one of the factors that Jeanne means.

1.2 Mary Montagu

Read the following newspaper article and answer the questions that follow.

1.3 The History of Vaccination

Mary Montagu was a beautiful woman. She survived an attack of smallpox in 1715 but she was left covered with scars. While living in Turkey in 1717, she observed a method called inoculation that was commonly used there. This treatment involved scratching a weak type of smallpox virus into the skin of healthy young people who then became sick, but in most cases only with a mild form of the disease.

Mary Montagu was so convinced of the safety of these inoculations that she allowed her son and daughter to be inoculated.

In 1796, Edward Jenner used inoculations of a related disease, cowpox, to produce antibodies against smallpox. Compared with the inoculation of smallpox, this treatment had less side effects and the treated person could not infect others. The treatment became known as vaccination.

Question 2: MARY MONTAGU  S477Q02

What kinds of diseases can people be vaccinated against?

• A Inherited diseases like haemophilia.

• B Diseases that are caused by viruses, like polio.

• C Diseases from the malfunctioning of the body, like diabetes.

• D Any sort of disease that has no cure.

Question 3: MARY MONTAGU  S477Q03

If animals or humans become sick with an infectious bacterial disease and then recover, the type of bacteria that caused the disease does not usually make them sick again.

What is the reason for this?

• A The body has killed all bacteria that may cause the same kind of disease.

• B The body has made antibodies that kill this type of bacteria before they multiply.

• C The red blood cells kill all bacteria that may cause the same kind of disease.

• D The red blood cells capture and get rid of this type of bacteria from the body.

Question 4: MARY MONTAGU  S477Q04

Give one reason why it is recommended that young children and old people, in particular, should be vaccinated against influenza (flu).