This week, we provide a quick scan of headlines related to the release of OECD’s first global study on the well-being of students, OECD’s analysis of PISA 2015 results focuses for the first time on students’ motivation to perform well in school, their relationships with peers and teachers, their home life, and how they spend their time outside of school. As the OECD shares on its website, “the findings are based on a survey of 540,000 students in 72 participating countries and economies who also completed the main OECD PISA 2015 test on science, mathematics and reading.”
The results show that many students are very anxious about school work and tests and the analysis reveals this is related with how supportive they feel their teachers and schools to be. On average, 59% of students reported worrying that taking a test will be difficult and 66% reported feeling stressed about poor grades. As reported on the OECD website:
Teachers play a big role in creating the conditions for students’ well-being at school and governments should not define the role of teachers solely through the number of instruction hours. Happier students tend to report positive relations with their teachers. Students in schools where life satisfaction is above the national average reported a higher level of support from their teacher than students in schools where life satisfaction is below average.
To read the full report, go to http://www.oecd.org/pisa/
PISA (2015) Well-Being Report headlines::
Competitiveness at school may not yield the best exam results, The Economist
AUSTRALIA
The three measures by which Australian students are ahead of Finnish ones, The Sydney Morning Herland
Teacher flaws stifle students, The Australian
FINLAND
PISA study: Finnish youth – especially boys – content with life, yle.fi
GERMANY
Pisa-Studie zum Wohlbefinden: Wie ein Abendessen am Familientisch die Leistung der Schüler verbessern kann. Spiegel Online
Mobbing – ein großes Problem an deutschen Schulen, tagesschau.de
Neue Pisa-Auswertung: Sportliche Schüler sind glücklicher, ispo.com
UK
UK Teens ‘Among The Most Miserable In The World,’ Huffpost
New Pisa happiness table: see where UK pupils rank, tes.com
IRELAND
Report reveals how Irish teenagers feel and perform as compared to peers across the world, Irish Examiner
UNITED STATES
It May Surprise You To Learn Where The World’s Happiest Students Live, Forbes
JAPAN
Japan’s 15-year-olds struggle with life satisfaction, OECD survey finds, The Japan Times
NEW ZEALAND
Kiwi students report second-highest rate of bullying in international study, stuff.co.nz
SWEDEN
More than one in six schoolkids get bullied in Sweden: study, The Local
SOUTH KOREA
Korean Teenagers Study Hard But Feel Unhappy, English.chosen.com
TURKEY
OECD PISA 2015 ‘Student Welfare’ report: First time in misery, Hurriyet
ITALY
Italian schoolkids make friends easily but suffer high anxiety, The Local
LUXEMBOURG
Lux. teens report low levels of study anxiety, Delano
MEXICO
Most Mexican Students Say They’re Happy, But Harassment Is Alarming Problem, Latin American Herald Tribune
—Deirdre Faughey
International Education News 