Using IEA Studies to Inform Policymaking and Program Development: The Case of Singapore

Abstract

Singapore’s participation in the Second International Science Study (SISS) in the 1980s marks the beginning of nearly four decades of involvement in IEA studies. International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) play an important role in complementing other information sources to inform policymakers about different aspects of the Singapore education system. The insights derived from these studies have at times served as reassurances to policymakers and program designers that progress has been made in some areas and, at other times, identified where improvements could be made. Participating in ILSAs has proved useful for Singapore. The Singapore Ministry of Education has used data from PIRLS and TIMSS for system-level monitoring and secondary analyses of the data have provided insights to inform policymaking and program development; here three actual use cases are used to illustrate the impact of ILSA in Singapore. These cases cover uses ranging from catalyzing curriculum redesign, to monitoring the implementation of a new pedagogical approach to learning science, to keeping tabs on any trade-offs from the bold, system-wide curricular and pedagogical shifts adopted. As a result of this long history of participation, the Singapore Ministry of Education has developed general principles guiding the use of data from large-scale assessments, which provide a useful framework for those interested in international efforts to improve education for all.