International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) have long been interpreted primarily through a system-level lens. Policymakers and researchers alike tend to focus on their “usefulness” in evaluating national education systems, comparing performance across countries, and identifying best practices. However, this dominant perspective risks narrowing the analytical and practical potential of these assessments. In this perspective, an argument is made for a shift toward examining how ILSA data are translated and transformed at the level of educational practice in sociologically grounded and pedagogically meaningful approaches.
Surette van Staden (Tue,) studied this question.