Reading for Pleasure Benefits Study

 Reading for pleasures is associated with improved outcomes for students, according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Program for International Student Assessment. Yet, data shows a decline in the number of those who report reading for pleasure, as well as potential downsides to consuming more information digitally versus in print.Young readers using simple, short texts have not seen a significant drop in comprehension, whether they were reading in print or online, while teenagers and adults, grappling with long-form and more complex texts, did find digital reading more challenging for comprehension and focus.

Kogar, E.Y. (2021). An Investigation of the Mediating Role of Various Variables in the Effect of Both Gender and Economic, Social and Cultural Status on Reading Literacy. International Journal of Progressive Education, 17(1), 376-391. doi: 10.29329/ijpe.2021.329.24

This study is discussed at:Sparks, S. (2022, Jan. 4). How to nurutre lifelong readers in a digital age. Education Week.

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-to-nurture-lifelong-readers-in-a-digital-age/2022/01

See also Baron, N. (2021). How we read now: Strategic choices for print, screen, and audio. Oxford University Press. 

See also Merga, M. K., & Mat Roni, S. (2018). Children’s perceptions of the importance and value of reading. Australian Journal of Education, 62(2), 135-153. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0004944118779615?casa_token=0yUQ08K6i-cAAAAA:TO3HQNGDkKxkZDwasmj8lIZhXztkmFqshzVkdgCvcOgfcXMGFGSHMF_1m8IyBkSLdynPdg1wxByDBQ

 Merga, M. K., & Mat Roni, S. (2018). Children’s perceptions of the importance and value of

reading. Australian Journal of Education, 62(2), 135-153.

Academic success factors study

Curiosity and persistence are the strongest predictors of academic success in math and reading, according to a study of students in 11 countries, including the US. The study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is the first major global assessment of students' social and emotional skills.

Schleicher, A. (2021). Beyond academic learning. OECD.

https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/social-emotional-skills-study/beyond-academic-learning-92a11084-en.htm

https://oecdedutoday.com/new-approach-social-emotional-skills/

Positive Economic Effects of Improving PISA Outcomes

This report uses recent economic modelling to relate cognitive skills – as measured by PISA and other international instruments – to economic growth, demonstrating that relatively small improvements to labor force skills can largely impact the future well-being of a nation. The report also shows that it is the quality of learning outcomes, not the length of schooling, which makes the difference. A modest goal of all OECD countries boosting their average PISA scores by 25 points over the next 20 years would increase OECD gross domestic product by USD 115 trillion over the lifetime of the generation born in 2010. More aggressive goals could result in gains in the order of USD 260 trillion.

OECD (2010). The high cost of low educational performance: The long-run economic impact of improving PISA outcomes. Paris, France: OECD. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/44417824.pdf

 

Student Collaborative Problem Solving – Compared by Nationality

Results from a PISA 2015 survey reported in a 2017 report by PISA, also known as the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment, assessed students’ abilities to work with two or more people to try to solve a problem. The study provides the rationale for assessing this particular skill and describes performance within and across countries. The volume also explores the role of education in building young people’s collaborative problem solving skills.

Key findings:

-       American teenagers performed above the international average in a new test of collaborative problem-solving.

-       Across 52 countries and economies that participated, only a small number of students scored at the highest level of collaborative problem solving, which requires them to not only identify paths and monitor progress towards solving a problem, but also staying aware of group dynamics, ensuring they and other team members fulfill their roles, and settle disagreements during the process. 

-       On average, U.S. teenagers could volunteer information and ask for clarification from team members, and sometimes suggest the next logical step to solve a problem, but they were less likely to be able to handle complex teamwork, group conflicts, or to evaluate the quality of information from different team members.

-       Across all countries, girls significantly outperformed boys on collaborative problem-solving.

-       These results may back up prior research which has shown students are rarely taught explicit collaboration strategies when they are paired up in school, and that without such instruction, they often don't really collaborate. 

OECD (2017). PISA 2015 results (Volume V): Collaborative problem solving. Paris, France: OECD.