The International Student Assessment Programme

Since the beginning of the 21st century, international studies such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) have played an important role in the governance of education and training in the European Union. For Portugal, a country that invested late in expanding access to mass education, participation in PISA since its first cycle in 2000 represented a challenge and an opportunity for growth.

In this scenario, a research project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), led by the Full Professor of Sociology of Education and Comparative Education at Universidade Lusófona - Centro Universitário de Lisboa, Director of the Institute of Education and scientific coordinator from the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Education and Development (CeiED), António Teodoro, aimed to explore the implicit and explicit implications of Portugal's participation in PISA, analyzing all cycles since 2000. As different national actors, including policymakers, managers Have schoolchildren, teachers and their unions, parents' associations and the media appropriated the PISA results and integrated them into discourses, public policies and professional practices?

The study was carried out between September 2018 and March 2022 and Portugal's initial results in the PISA cycles reflected: until 2012, the difficulties faced by a country that was adjusting to significant changes in its educational system. However, starting in 2015, a landmark turning point was reached. Portugal's results surpassed the OECD average in the three areas analyzed: scientific literacy, mathematics and reading. This feat not only captured the attention of international observers, but also put Portugal on the map as a "success story" among European and developed countries.

The results of this research project provide valuable insights not only into Portugal's educational performance, but also into how PISA results are interpreted and used across the country. This study highlights the importance of a critical and comprehensive analysis of PISA data, not only to assess student performance, but also to understand the underlying social, political and educational dynamics. Portugal, now recognized as an emerging success story on the global educational scene, continues to face challenges and opportunities as it navigates the complex world of 21st century education.