The Survey of Adult Skills is a product of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The Survey of Adult Skills aims to measure the skills needed by adults to participate in society and for economies to prosper. The 2023 survey assessed…

In large-scale assessments, performance differences across different groups are regularly found. These group differences (e.g., gender differences) are often relevant for educational policy decisions and measures. However, the formation of these group differences usually remains unclear. We propose an approach for investigating this formation by…

Automation and advanced technologies have increased the need for a better understanding of the skills necessary to have a globally competitive workforce. This study used data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to compare problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments among adults in South Korea,…

Automation and advanced technologies have increased the need for a better understanding of the skills necessary to have a globally competitive workforce. This study used data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to compare problem solving skills in technology rich environments among adults in South Korea,…

Previous research shows that children evaluate the competence of others based on how effectively someone accomplished a goal, that is, based on the observed outcome of an action (e.g., number of attempts needed). Here, we investigate whether 5- to 10-year-old children and adults infer competence from how efficiently someone solves a task by…

This study investigates the extent to which student and task-related characteristics are associated with different types of note-taking and analyzes how task success depends on these elements. For this purpose, a sample of n=866 students (age: mean=13.99) completing two reality-based tasks as part of a paper and pencil test are considered. The…

This article explores the role of self-efficacy in distance education. We argue that self-efficacy in distance education needs to be considered in terms of dimensions different from face-to-face education. Based on our literature review, we highlight three critical dimensions of self-efficacy in distance education: academic, learning, and social.…

Mathematization is critical in providing students with challenges for solving modelling tasks. Inadequate assumptions in a modelling task lead to an inadequate situational model, and to an inadequate mathematical model for the problem situation. However, the role of assumptions in solving modelling problems has been investigated only rarely. In…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the mathematical values, mathematics educational values, and educational values involved in mathematical modeling tasks based on different mathematical modeling perspectives. Design/Approach/Methods: In this context, the present study is a qualitative research based on document analysis. The data…

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a teaching and learning approach that is based on the principles that underpin sustainability and applies to all levels of education. However, there is a scarcity of research on the integration of curricula with ESD. In this study, secondary school curricula in Germany (Bavaria) (geography, nature and…

In this study, we investigated how empirical indicators of test-taking engagement can be defined, empirically validated, and used to describe group differences in the context of the Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC). The approach was to distinguish between disengaged and engaged response behavior by means of…

Problems associated with the environment loom large over the future well-being of young generations. A previous issue of PISA in Focus (PISA in Focus 87) shows that in 2015 many 15-year-old students believed that the future -- their future -- was going to be worse, environmentally, than the present. In particular, only a minority of students…

In the light of ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) it is essential for everyone to be digitally competent. This is particularly true for prospective engineers and teachers since their jobs play an important role in shaping our common future. We assessed engineering and science teacher students' (n=180) digital competences…

The understanding of graphs and extraction of relevant information from graphs plays a major role in physics education and is also important in several related fields. Recently, Susac "et al." [Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 14, 020109 (2018)] compared physics and psychology students' understanding of graphs in the contexts of physics and…

Creativity is an important skill that will increasingly play a role in the future professional sphere, not only in arts and crafts professions but also in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions. It is precisely in this field that new methods and products have to be constantly developed. Therefore, the promotion of high…