May 2025 | Compass Review
Australia’s PISA Performance
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has released an in-depth report into how Australian students performed across the 8 areas of maths in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2022.1
PISA, which takes place every three years, assesses the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading and science across the OECD countries. The most recent assessment in 2022 had a key focus on mathematics and approximately 690,000 15-year-olds participated from 81 countries. PISA aims to give insights into how well education systems are preparing students for real life challenges and future success as well as giving an opportunity for policy makers and educators to learn from other countries’ policies and practices.
The assessment framework reflects current instructional policies and practices, and is designed to evaluate mathematics in its broadest sense and application in real-world contexts. ACER’s report, PISA 2022. A closer look at mathematics in Australia, was released in March and reported on a number of significant variables to see how students were able to understand and resolve situations mathematically.2 Approximately 13,430 Australian 15-year-olds took part in PISA 2022.
Australia achieved a mean score above the OECD average across all mathematics sub-scales showing the greatest strength in ‘uncertainty and data’ and the average girl and boy performed above the OECD average for their gender.Sub-scales were in two categories, content and process.
Content:
- Change and relationship management – Australia Mean Score 486 (OECD average – 470).
- Quantity – Australia Mean Score 483 (OECD average – 472)
- Space and shape – Australia Mean Score 486 (OECD average – 471)
- Uncertainty and data – Australia Mean Score 494 (OECD average – 474)
Across all mathematics content subscales, Australian student performance was lower than Singapore, Macao (China), Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Korea, Estonia and Switzerland. Australia had a larger proportion of high performers and a smaller proportion of low performers than the OECD average in knowledge of maths content.
Process:
- Formulating – Australia Mean Score 484 (OECD average – 469)
- Employing – Australia Mean Score 486 (OECD average – 474)
- Interpreting – Australia Mean Score 493 (OECD average – 474)
- Reasoning – Australia Mean Score 486 (OECD average – 473)
The average Australian student performed above the OECD average, showing the greatest strength in interpreting, applying and evaluating mathematical outcomes within the process subscale. Results were similar to Belgium, Poland and the United Kingdom
The report also analysed results for different demographic groups and disadvantages were highlighted connected to various demographics including location (state/territory and city/regional), gender, and socio-economic group.
Improving maths learning
The Grattan report was released last month, titled The Maths Guarantee: How to boost students’ learning in primary schools.3 A survey of 1,745 teachers and school leaders across Australia, conducted for the report found that some teachers lack confidence to teach Year 6 maths and many have concerns about their colleagues’ ability to teach it.
The report highlights that maths skills need prioritising, with one in three school students failing to achieve proficiency in the subject, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds struggling the most. The report focuses on what needs to be actioned in order to improve students’ maths learning in primary schools to set them on the right path to excel in maths, as demonstrated by proven approaches used by other countries.
The report suggests schools commit to a ‘10-year Maths Guarantee Strategy’ encompassing 5 recommendations to government and education leaders which are:
- Schools should commit to a long-term aspiration of 90 per cent of students achieving proficiency in numeracy, as measured by NAPLAN.
- Commission detailed, national guidance on what effective maths teaching entails, after a review of existing guidance.
- Supply schools with quality-assured curriculum materials to ensure schools can confidently select evidence-informed resources that will support effective teaching and learning.
- Improving teaching quality by investing in high-quality professional development to support implementation of best practice.
- Improve monitoring and oversight through use of a national early years screening tool to identify students at risk of falling behind in maths and oversight through stronger school reviews.
Teens and screens
As the debate around under 16s use of social media continues, the Blackdog Institute in partnership with Bupa has released a guide for schools, students and parents/carers around teens use of social media and screen use.
Based on the finding of the Future Proofing Study July 2024 – Adolescent mental health and screen use.4 The guide gives tips on maximising the benefits of online activities while minimising the downsides.
The resources available include practical tips for parents and carers webnair to support their teen to build healthy digital habits and provide practical strategies to help start open conversations with their child about screen time, online safety, and positive digital behaviours.5
There is also a free digital literacy programme for schools, including a library of resources to deliver engaging lessons on digital wellbeing, including step-by-step guides, interactive presentations, and ready-to-use student resources for years 7 – 9 (the years 10-12 programme is currently being developed).6
For students themselves there is a downloadable guide providing essential tips on how they themselves can maximise the benefits of online activities while minimising potential downsides to empower them with the knowledge to navigate your digital world positively.7
Janet Stone is the former editor of Education Matters and WhichSchool? Magazines. She has written education content for national publications, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, and The Guardian, as well as several Australian universities and organisations.
Resources
- PISA 2022 Results (Volume I)
- PISA 2022. A closer look at mathematics in Australia
- The Maths Guarantee: How to boost students’ learning in primary school
- Adolescent screen use and mental health
- Teens & Screens: Adolescent Mental Health & Screen Use
- Teens & Screens: a free digital literacy program for schools
- Being online: Maximising the good, minimising the bad
