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Macao-PISA 2012 Report:
Assessment of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy
performance of 15-year-old students
from an international comparison perspective
Kwok-cheung Cheung, Pou-seong Sit, Soi-kei Mak & Man-kai, Ieong
Educational Testing and Assessment Research Centre
University of Macau
Macao, People’s Republic of China
2013
- 2 -
Title: Macao-PISA 2012 Report:
Assessment of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy performance
of 15-year-old students from an international comparison perspective
General Editors: Kwok-cheung Cheung, Pou-seong Sit, Soi-kei Mak & Man-kai, Ieong
Editorial Board: In-fan Fong, Wai-cheong Cheong, Hou-chi Tou
Typesetting: Circle i Studio
Publisher: Educational Testing and Assessment Research Centre,
University of Macau
Printer:
Date: December, 2013
Quantity: 1000
ISBN
- 3 -
Acknowledgements
Successful completion of the Macao-PISA 2012 Study was contingent on:
(1) Financial sponsorship and policy steering by Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao
Government;
(2) Guidance and resource support by the University of Macau authority, especially Research
and Development Administration Office of University of Macau;
(3) Academic and technical support by the Educational Testing and Assessment Research
Centre, Faculty of Education, University of Macau;
(4) Cooperation of secondary schools participating in the PISA 2012 Study;
(5) Active participation of students and their parents in responding to PISA 2012 tests and
questionnaires;
(6) Cooperation of schools providing the testing venues: Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima
(English Secondary), Escola Luso-Chinesa Técnico-Profissional, Escola Primaria Oficial
Luso-Chinesa Sir Robert Ho Tung, Keang Peng Middle School, Pui Ching Middle School,
Sheng Kung Hui Choi Kou School (Macau), The Affiliated School of the University of
Macau, and Yuet Wah College.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………
Table of Contents ……..…………………………………………………………………
List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………
List of Figures …..………………………………………………………………………
List of Appendices ………………………………………………………………………
Executive Summary …….………………………………………………………………
Chapter 1 Conduct of Enquiry …………………………………………………………
1.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………
1.2 Sample design …….…………………………………………………………
1.3 Mathematical literacy assessment framework …….………..………………
1.4 Examples of a mathematical literacy test unit …….…...……………………
1.5 Description of proficiency levels of mathematical, scientific and reading
literacy scales ……………..………………………………………………
Chapter 2 A Profile of Literacy Performance for 15-year-olds in Macao ……………
2.1 Macao 15-year-olds’ literacy performance ………………………………
2.2 An international comparison of performance in the three literacy
domains ……..…………………………………………… .………
Chapter 3 Relationships between Literacy Performance and ESCS for Macao
Schools ……………………………………………………….…….……
3.1 Plots of literacy performance with ESCS in the Macao sample …………
3.2 Relationships of school literacy performance with school ESCS ……..…
Chapter 4 Quality Education Indicators for Improving Mathematics Education in
Macao Schools …......………….……………………………………………
4.1 Identification of quality education indicators …....……...………………….
4.2 Suggestions for school and student improvement according to the quality
indicators ……………………....……………………………………………
Chapter 5 Trend of Literacy Performance of Macao Students ………………………….
5.1 Trend of literacy performance of Macao 15-year-olds in the past decade …
5.2 Strengths and weaknesses of Macao 15-year-olds’ literacy performance in
the last decade ………………………………………………………………
References ………...……………………………………………………………………
Appendices…………………………………………………………………………..
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List of Tables
Table 1.1 Characteristics of schools in the PISA 2012 Macao sample.…………
Table 1.2 Number of 15-year-olds sampled and tested in Macao ………………
Table 1.3 Grade distribution of Macao’s 15-year-olds tested…...……………….
Table 1.4 Characteristics of sample items in accordance with the PISA 2012
mathematics assessment framework…………………………………..
Table 1.5 Proficiency level descriptions of the mathematical literacy scale…….
Table 1.6 Proficiency level descriptions of the scientific literacy scale ………...
Table 1.7 Proficiency level descriptions of the reading literacy scale …………..
Table 2.1 Macao 15-year-olds’ literacy performance results ……………………
Table 2.2 Distribution of Macao 15-year-olds’ proficiency levels on the literacy
scales …………………………………………………………………
Table 2.3 Performance of countries/economies in the mathematical, scientific
and reading literacy in PISA 2012…………………………………….
Table 3.1 Literacy performance and ESCS of participating schools …................
Table 4.1 Quality education indicators for mathematics education in Macao
schools ………….………………………………………….……….…
Table 4.2 Quality indicators pertaining to Learning Mathematics for the
improvement of mathematics education in Macao schools…………...
Table 4.3 Quality indicators pertaining to Mathematics Experience for the
improvement of mathematics education in Macao schools…………..
Table 4.4 Quality indicators pertaining to Problem Solving Experience for the
improvement of mathematics education in Macao schools…………..
Table 4.5 Quality indicators pertaining to Availability and Use of ICT for the
improvement of mathematics education in Macao schools…………...
Table 4.6 Quality indicators pertaining to Classroom and School Climate for
the improvement of mathematics education in Macao
schools………………………………………………………………...
Table A1.1 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Familiarity with
Mathematical Concepts between Macao and OECD countries………
Table A1.2 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Experience with Pure
Mathematics Tasks at School between Macao and OECD countries….
Table A1.3 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics
Self-Efficacy between Macao and OECD countries…………………..
Table A1.4 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics
Self-Concept between Macao and OECD countries…………….…….
Table A1.5 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Interest
between Macao and OECD countries…………………………………
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Table A1.6 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Instrumental
Motivation for Mathematics between Macao and OECD countries…..
Table A1.7 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Work
Ethics between Macao and OECD countries…………………………
Table A1.8 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics
Behavior between Macao and OECD countries………………………
Table A1.9 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Subjective Norms in
Mathematics between Macao and OECD countries………………….
Table A1.10 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Anxiety
between Macao and OECD countries…………………………………
Table A1.11 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Attributions to
Failure in Mathematics between Macao and OECD countries……….
Table A2.1 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics
Teacher’s Classroom Management between Macao and OECD
countries……………………………………………………………….
Table A2.2 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Cognitive Activation
in Mathematics Lessons between Macao and OECD countries………
Table A2.3 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics
Teacher’s Support between Macao and OECD countries …………..
Table A2.4 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Disciplinary Climate
between Macao and OECD countries…………………………………
Table A3.1 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Perseverance
between Macao and OECD countries…………………………………
Table A3.2 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Openness for
Problem Solving between Macao and OECD countries………………
Table A4.1 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the ICT Resources
between Macao and OECD countries…………………………………
Table A4.2 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the ICT Use at Home for
School-related Tasks between Macao and OECD countries………….
Table A5.1 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Teacher-Student
Relations between Macao and OECD countries………………………
Table A5.2 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Sense of Belonging to
School between Macao and OECD countries…………………………
Table A5.3 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Attitude towards
School: Learning Outcomes between Macao and OECD countries…..
Table A5.4 A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Attitude towards
School: Learning Activities between Macao and OECD countries…...
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List of Figures
Figure 1.1 Main features of the PISA 2012 mathematical literacy assessment
framework …………….....................................................................
Figure 2.1 Percentage of 15-year-olds at different mathematical literacy
proficiency levels across grades in the Macao
sample ………………………………………………………………
Figure 2.2 Percentage of 15-year-olds at different grade levels across
mathematical literacy proficiency levels in the Macao
sample ………………………………………………………………
Figure 3.1 Plots of literacy performance with ESCS ………………………….
Figure 3.2 Plots of mathematical literacy subscale performance with
ESCS………………………………………………………………..
Figure 3.3 Plot of school mathematical literacy performance with school
ESCS ………………………………………………………………..
Figure 3.4 Plot of school scientific literacy performance with school
ESCS ………………………………………………………………..
Figure 3.5 Plot of school reading literacy performance with school
ESCS ………………………………………………………………..
Figure 5.1 Trend of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy performance
of 15-year-old students in Macao (2003-2012)…………………….
Figure 5.2 QQ-Plot of mathematical literacy performance (2003 vs. 2012)….
Figure 5.3 QQ-Plot of scientific literacy performance (2003 vs. 2012)………
Figure 5.4 QQ-Plot of reading literacy performance (2003 vs. 2012)………...
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List of Appendices
Appendix 1 Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality
education indicators pertaining to Learning Mathematics ………...
Appendix 2 Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality
education indicators pertaining to Mathematics
Experiences.....................................................................................
Appendix 3 Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality
education indicators pertaining to Problem Solving
Experiences…………………………………………………………......
Appendix 4 Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality
education indicators pertaining to Availability and Use of ICT.......
Appendix 5 Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality
education indicators pertaining to Classroom and School Climate
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Executive Summary
The main purpose of this report is to complement the PISA 2012 International Report (OECD,
2013a) released on 3 December, 2013 in Paris. It is hoped that this report can serve as a good
starting point for any systematic enquiry that makes use of PISA 2012 data in the examination
of quality and equity of basic education in Macao. The following is an executive summary of
this report.
1. Macao, special administrative region of People’s Republic of China, participated in
OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the first time in
2003. Macao participated again in 2006, 2009, 2012, and will participate for the fifth time
in 2015.
2. In each three-yearly cycle of PISA assessment, three kinds of literacy are examined,
namely: reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. The target students assessed are all
secondary students who are aged between 15 years three months and 16 years two months
at the time of assessment. For Macao, most students are studying in the three middle grade
levels (i.e. grade 8, 9 and 10), whereas some students are studying in the lower or higher
grade levels (i.e. grade 7, 11 and 12). This grade distribution has implications for the
literacy performance attained in the Macao sample.
3. When comparing the literacy performance across schools, it is important to note that the
literacy assessed actually referred to the cumulative educational effects of all the schools
that the students have attended previously. Therefore, a low-performing school identified
in PISA may not be a poor school. Low-performing students who drop out from one
school may subsequently enroll in another school thereby have a possibility of lowering
the sampled school’s literacy performance level.
4. The focus of PISA 2012 was on mathematics. Amongst the 65 participating
countries/economies, Macao’s mathematical literacy performance was statistically
significantly above the OECD average, and ranked between 6 and 8 on the combined
mathematics scale. In decreasing order of the mean of the mathematical literacy score, the
five countries/economies statistically significantly higher than Macao are: Shanghai-China,
Singapore, Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei, and Korea whereas the two
countries/economies comparable in performance with that of Macao are: Japan and
Liechtenstein.
5. Altogether there are six proficiency levels (i.e. level 1-6) in the combined mathematical
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literacy scale. There are three important findings. First, students performing below level 2
are regarded as low-performers. About 11% of Macao’s 15-year-olds performed at this
low level. Second, students who cannot reach the lowest level (i.e. level 1) are regarded as
disadvantaged. They run the risks of being unable to function productively in the life-long
learning society in the 21st Century. About 3% of the students are thus seriously at risk.
Third, students who can reach the top two levels (i.e. level 5 and 6) are crowned as
high-performers. They are cherished as valuable talents who are much needed in
nowadays knowledge society. In Macao, close to a quarter of the adolescents are high
performers in mathematical literacy.
6. Amongst the three problem-solving processes of mathematical literacy, Macao’s
15-year-olds performed pretty well in problem formulation, very well in employing
mathematics to solve problems, and quite well in interpreting the problem solving
solutions. Contrary to previous cycles of PISA assessment, gender difference in
mathematical literacy favoring males is not pronounced in PISA 2012. Admittedly, there
is a small gender difference favoring males observed in mathematical problem
formulation.
7. A minor focus of the PISA 2012 was on the assessment of scientific literacy. Amongst the
65 participating countries/economies, Macao’s scientific literacy performance was
statistically significantly above the OECD average, and ranked between 9 and 19 on the
scientific literacy scale. In descending order of the mean of the scientific literacy score,
countries/economies statistically significantly higher than Macao are: Shanghai-China,
Hong Kong-China, Singapore, Japan, Finland, Estonia, Korea and Canada.
8. Another minor focus of the PISA 2012 Study was on the assessment of reading literacy.
Amongst the 65 participating countries/economies, Macao’s reading literacy performance
was statistically significantly above the OECD average, and ranked between 12 and 22 on
the reading literacy scale. In descending order of the mean of reading literacy score,
countries/economies statistically significantly higher than Macao are: Shanghai-China,
Hong Kong-China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Finland, Ireland, Chinese Taipei, Canada,
Poland and Estonia.
9. Same as previous three cycles of PISA assessment, the slope of the literacy-ESCS
relationship is gentle and the percentage of literacy performance variance explained by
economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) is the lowest of the 65 participating
countries/economies. Therefore, Macao’s basic educational system continues to provide
equitable schooling opportunities for the student body it served.
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10. Five sets of quality education indicators for the betterment of mathematics education in
Macao schools have been identified, namely (1) Learning Mathematics (e.g. familiarity
with mathematical concepts); (2) Mathematics Experiences (e.g. mathematics teacher’s
classroom management); (3) Problem Solving Experiences (e.g. openness for problem
solving); (4) Availability and Use of ICT (e.g. ICT use at home for school-related tasks);
(5) Classroom and School Climate (e.g. sense of belonging). Using these indicators as
guideposts, suggestions can be made to help low-performing students enhance
mathematical literacy performance.
11. Since 2003, Macao has participated four times in the PISA assessment of mathematical,
scientific and reading literacy (i.e. PISA 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012). As at 2012, Macao
students have reached very high standards in mathematical literacy, improved appreciably
in reading literacy up to the OECD average standard, and maintained fairly good standard
in scientific literacy. To raise literacy standards to new heights in the forthcoming PISA
2015, it is important to elevate the mathematical and reading literacy performance
standard of the low-achievers, and increase the scientific literacy standard of the
high-achievers.
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Chapter 1
Conduct of Enquiry
Abstract: This chapter recapitulates the conduct of enquiry of the PISA 2012 undertaken in
Macao from 21 April to 31 May 2012. It comprises five sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Sample
design; (3) Mathematical literacy assessment framework; (4) Examples of a mathematical
literacy test unit; (5) Description of proficiency levels of mathematical, scientific and reading
literacy scales.
1.1 Introduction
PISA 2012 assessed 15-year-old students’ literacy in three key domain areas: (1) mathematics,
(2) science, and (3) reading. In this fifth round of international assessment, mathematical
literacy was the main focus of international assessment, whereas scientific and reading literacy
were assessed to a minor extent. The assessment design allows researchers to chart changes
across the various cycles of PISA assessment, i.e. PISA 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012. In
PISA, literacy refers to the capacity of students to apply knowledge and skills in key domain
areas and to reason and communicate effectively as they pose and solve problems in a variety
of situations in the real world.
PISA 2012 sought to chart a profile of knowledge and skills, i.e. a detailed profile of literacy
for mathematics, and an update for science and reading. For mathematics, the emphasis is on
the examination of mathematical thought and actions in problems and tasks set in real world
contexts. The assessment focuses on mathematical literacy in practice in contemporary world.
Approximately 510,000 students were randomly sampled to participate in PISA 2012. The
achieved sample represents about 28 million 15-year-old students in the schools of the 65
participating countries/economies, of which 34 were OECD member countries and 31 were
partner countries/economies.
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1.2 Sample design
Table 1.1 presents characteristics of the schools and the 15-year-olds sampled and tested in
PISA 2012, broken down by school type, study program, and language of instruction.
Table 1.1
Characteristics of schools in the PISA 2012 Macao sample
Stratifying Variable Number of
schools
sampled
Number of
schools
tested
Number of
students
sampled
Number of
students
tested
School Type
Government 4 4 226 223
Private-In-Net 32 32 4255 4210
Private 9 9 916 902
Study Program
Grammar-International 40 40 5152 5093
Technical-Prevocational 5 5 245 242
Language of Instruction
Chinese 32 32 4071 4034
English 7 7 579 572
Portuguese 1 1 43 41
Chinese & English 4 4 582 567
Chinese & Portuguese 1 1 122 121
Total 45 45 5397 5335 Note 1: All sampled schools offered basic education courses to 15-year-olds. Two schools were excluded from the
designed school sample; one offered senior secondary vocational education only to a few students and the
other was a school offering special education at the secondary level.
Note 2: Sampled students were all 15-year-olds born in 1996.
Note 3: PISA 2012 was essentially a census as all eligible schools and students were sampled for assessment.
Table 1.2 presents the number of students (males/females) sampled and tested in the PISA 2012.
The response rate is very satisfactory, showing that the achieved sample is highly representative
of the Macao’s 15-year-old student population.
Table 1.2
Number of 15-year-olds sampled and tested in Macao
Number of 15-year-olds
Sampled 5397
(2765 males and 2632 females)
Tested 5335
(2731 males and 2604 females)
Response rate (%) 98.85%
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Table 1.3 presents the grade distribution of Macao’s 15-year-olds tested in the PISA 2012.
Despite 33.2% and 44.7% of the Macao sample were studying at grade 9 and 10 respectively,
there were 5.3% and 16.3% of sampled students studying at grade 7 and 8 respectively. A
sampled school’s literacy performance is expected to be affected when the proportions of
students studying at the lower grades (i.e. grade 7 and 8) are significantly higher than the
corresponding figures in the Macao sample (see Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2 for the distribution
of mathematical literacy proficiency levels across grades).
Table 1.3
Grade distribution of Macao’s 15-year-olds tested
Grade Number of students % of students
7 284 5.3
8 872 16.3
9 1770 33.2
10 2385 44.7
11 23 0.4
12 1 0.0
Total 5335 100.0
1.3 Mathematical literacy assessment framework
Mathematical literacy is defined as “an individual’s capacity to formulate, employ, and interpret
mathematics in a variety of contexts. It includes reasoning mathematically and using
mathematical concepts, procedures, facts, and tools to describe, explain, and predict
phenomena. It assists individuals to recognize the role that mathematics plays in the world and
to make the well-founded judgment and decisions needed by constructive, engaged and
reflective citizens”(OECD, 2013e, p.25).
This definition portrays a view of students as active problem solvers, an explicit link to a
variety of contexts for problems, and a visible role for mathematical tools including technology.
The definition emphasizes the importance of mathematical literacy for full citizenship in
contemporary society. This is because mathematics can be used to describe, explain and predict
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phenomena encountered in an individual’s everyday lives. Hence, mathematical literacy
assessment is highly embedded in challenges and problems in the real world. In the test
booklets, many PISA problems seek to measure not just the extent to which students can
reproduce mathematical content knowledge, but also assess how well they can generalize from
what they know and apply their mathematical knowledge in a variety of contextual situations.
The focus on real-life contexts is also reflected in the usage of mathematical tools to solve
problems. The word “tools” refers to the physical and digital equipment, as well as software
and calculation devices that have become ubiquitous in the 21st century homes and workplaces.
Using these tools require a certain degree of mathematical reasoning that PISA 2012 is
well-equipped to measure.
Figure 1.1 presents an overview of the main features of the PISA 2012 mathematical literacy
assessment framework, which is essentially a conceptual model of mathematical literacy in
practice (OECD, 2013e, p.26).
- 16 -
Figure 1.1
Main features of the PISA 2012 mathematical literacy assessment framework
In Figure 1.1, the largest box shows that mathematical literacy is assessed in the context of a
challenge, or a problem encountered in the real world context. The middle box highlights the
nature of mathematical thought and action that can be deployed to confront the challenge or
solve the problem. The smallest box describes the mathematizing processes that the problem
solver uses to construct a solution to the problem.
Real-world challenges or problems are categorized in two ways: their contexts and the contents
of mathematics involved. Successful mathematical problem solving entails effective usage of
fundamental mathematical capabilities in the mathematical processes. In order to elucidate the
PISA 2012 mathematical literacy assessment framework, there is a need to delineate the three
components of the framework, namely: (1) real world contexts; (2) mathematical contents; and
Challenge In real world context Mathematical content categories: Quantity; Uncertainty and data; Change and relationships; Space and shape Real world context categories: Personal; Societal; Occupational; Scientific
Mathematical thought and action Mathematical concepts, knowledge and skills Fundamental mathematical capabilities: Communication; Representation; Devising strategies; Mathematisation; Reasoning and argument; Using symbolic, formal and technical language and operations; Using mathematical tools Processes: Formulate; Employ; Interpret/Evaluate
Problem in context
Mathematical results
Mathematical problem
Results in context
Employ
Interpret
Evaluate
Formulate
- 17 -
(3) mathematical processes.
Real world contexts
Below are the four context categories used to identify the broad areas of human life in which
the problems in the real world may arise:
Personal – related to an individual’s daily lives
Societal – related to the community, whether local, national, or global, in which an
individual lives
Occupational – related to the world of work
Scientific – related to the use of mathematics in science and technology
According to the framework, these four categories should be represented by equal number of
items in the PISA test booklets.
Mathematical contents
An understanding of mathematical content knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge
to the solution of contextualized problems are important for citizens in the modern world. To
formulate situations and solve problems set in personal, societal, occupational, and scientific
contexts, there is a need to draw upon certain mathematical knowledge and understandings.
Consistent with the categories used in previous PISA surveys (say PISA 2003) a set of
mathematical content categories was selected for the PISA 2012 assessment framework. The
four content categories are:
Quantity
Uncertainty and data
Change and relationships
Space and shape
According to the assessment framework, these four categories of mathematics content should
be represented by equal number of items in the PISA test booklets.
Mathematical processes
The definition of mathematical literacy refers to a student’s capacity to formulate, employ, and
interpret/evaluate mathematics. It is important for policy makers and educational practitioners
to know how students are performing when they engage in the three mathematical processes
described below:
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Formulate (Formulate situations mathematically) – how effectively students are able to
recognize and identify opportunities to use mathematics in problem situations and
provide the necessary mathematical structure needed to formulate that contextualized
problem into a mathematical form
Employ (Employ mathematical concepts, facts, procedures and reasoning) – how well
students are able to perform computations and manipulations and apply the concepts
and facts that they know to arrive at a mathematical solution to a problem formulated
mathematically
Interpret (Interpret, apply and evaluate mathematical outcomes) – how effectively
students are able to reflect upon mathematical solutions or conclusions, interpret them
in the context of a real-world problem, and determine whether the results or conclusions
are reasonable or not
For the first time PISA 2012 reports assessment results according to these three key
mathematical processes, which when engaged by the examinee each draws on a number of
fundamental mathematical capabilities. Because not all PISA problems engage students in
every stage of the problem solving processes (see Figure 1.1), items of each test unit are
classified in accordance with the prevalent mathematical processes. According to the
assessment framework, the three mathematical processes Formulate, Employ and Interpret
should be covered by 25%, 50% and 25% of the number of items in the PISA test booklets.
1.4 Examples of a mathematical literacy test unit
Table 1.4 presents the characteristics of two examples of a mathematical literacy test unit (i.e.
CHARTS and REVOLVING DOOR) classified in accordance with the item response format
(i.e. simple multiple choices and constructed responses), as well as the various features of the
mathematics assessment framework discussed in the previous section. The following pages of
this section detail the items in the test units, as well as the question intent and the associated
coding guides for scoring the test items.
- 19 -
Table 1.4
Characteristics of sample items in accordance with the PISA 2012 mathematics assessment
framework
Items Item Response Format Content Context Process
CHARTS
Q01 Simple Multiple Choice Uncertainty & data Societal Interpret
Q02 Simple Multiple Choice Uncertainty & data Societal Interpret
Q03 Simple Multiple Choice Uncertainty & data Societal Employ
REVOLVING DOOR
Q01 Constructed Response
(Manual)
Space & shape Scientific Employ
Q02 Simple Multiple Choice Quantity Scientific Formulate
Q03 Constructed Response
(Expert)
Space & shape Scientific Formulate
- 20 -
CHARTS In January, the new CDs of the bands 4U2Rock and The Kicking Kangaroos were released. In February, the CDs of the bands No One’s Darling and The Metalfolkies followed. The following graph shows the sales of the bands’ CDs from January to June.
Question 1: CHARTS
How many CDs did the band The Metalfolkies sell in April?
A 250 B 500 C 1000 D 1270
Nu
mb
er
of
CD
s s
old
pe
r m
on
th
Month
0
250
750
2000
2250
1750
1500
1000
1250
500
May Jun Apr Mar Jan Feb
4U2Rock
The Kicking Kangaroos
No One’s Darling
The Metalfolkies
Sales of CDs per month
- 21 -
CHARTS SCORING Q01
QUESTION INTENT:
Description: Read a bar chart
Mathematical content area: Uncertainty and data
Context: Societal
Process: Interpret
Full Credit
Code 1: B 500
No Credit
Code 0: Other responses.
Code 9: Missing.
Question 2: CHARTS
In which month did the band No One’s Darling sell more CDs than the band The Kicking Kangaroos for the first time?
A No month B March C April D May
CHARTS SCORING Q02
QUESTION INTENT:
Description: Read a bar chart and compare the height of two bars
Mathematical content area: Uncertainty and data
Context: Societal
Process: Interpret
Full Credit
Code 1: C April
No Credit
Code 0: Other responses.
Code 9: Missing.
- 22 -
Question 3: CHARTS
The manager of The Kicking Kangaroos is worried because the number of their CDs that sold decreased from February to June.
What is the estimate of their sales volume for July if the same negative trend continues?
A 70 CDs B 370 CDs C 670 CDs D 1340 CDs
CHARTS SCORING Q03
QUESTION INTENT:
Description: Interpret a bar chart and estimate the number of CDs sold in the future assuming that the linear trend continues
Mathematical content area: Uncertainty and data
Context: Societal
Process: Employ
Full Credit
Code 1: B 370 CDs
No Credit
Code 0: Other responses.
Code 9: Missing.
- 23 -
REVOLVING DOOR A revolving door includes three wings which rotate within a circular-shaped space. The inside diameter of this space is 2 metres (200 centimetres). The three door wings divide the space into three equal sectors. The plan below shows the door wings in three different positions viewed from the top.
Question 1: REVOLVING DOOR
What is the size in degrees of the angle formed by two door wings?
Size of the angle: ................................. º
REVOLVING DOOR SCORING Q01
QUESTION INTENT:
Description: Compute the central angle of a sector of a circle
Mathematical content area: Space and shape
Context: Scientific
Process: Employ
Full Credit
Code 1: 120 [accept the equivalent reflex angle: 240].
No Credit
Code 0: Other responses.
Code 9: Missing.
Exit
Entrance
200 cm
Wings
- 24 -
Possible air flow in this position.
Question 2: REVOLVING DOOR
The two door openings (the dotted arcs in the diagram) are the same size. If these openings are too wide the revolving wings cannot provide a sealed space and air could then flow freely between the entrance and the exit, causing unwanted heat loss or gain. This is shown in the diagram opposite.
What is the maximum arc length in centimetres (cm) that each door opening can have, so that air never flows freely between the entrance and the exit?
Maximum arc length: ................... cm
REVOLVING DOOR SCORING Q02
QUESTION INTENT:
Description: Interpret a geometrical model of a real life situation to calculate the length of an arc
Mathematical content area: Space and shape
Context: Scientific
Process: Formulate
Full Credit
Code 1: Answers in the range from 103 to 105. [Accept answers calculated as 1/6th of the
circumference (
. Also accept an answer of 100 only if it is clear that this
response resulted from using = 3.
Note: Answer of 100 without supporting working could be obtained by a simple guess that it is the same as the radius (length of a single wing).]
No Credit
Code 0: Other responses. 209 [states the total size of the openings rather than the size of “each” opening].
Code 9: Missing.
- 25 -
Question 3: REVOLVING DOOR
The door makes 4 complete rotations in a minute. There is room for a maximum of two people in each of the three door sectors.
What is the maximum number of people that can enter the building through the door in 30 minutes?
A 60 B 180 C 240 D 720
REVOLVING DOOR SCORING 3
QUESTION INTENT:
Description: Identify information and construct an (implicit) quantitative model to solve the problem
Mathematical content area: Quantity
Context: Scientific
Process: Formulate
Full Credit
Code 1: D 720
No Credit
Code 0: Other responses.
Code 9: Missing.
- 26 -
1.5 Description of proficiency levels of mathematical, scientific and reading
literacy scales
Test items of the same test unit are organized under the same stimulus of the whole test unit
(see illustrative examples shown in previous section), and there are several kinds of item
response formats (e.g. multiple choice, short-answer/extended constructed response) in the
construction of the items. In multiple choices item response format, students are required to
select the best or most correct answer amongst several options, and in the constructed response
item response format students provide their answers as requested. In PISA 2012, each student
was randomly assigned one of thirteen test booklets containing clusters of test units which take
approximately 120 minutes to complete.
Table 1.5 to 1.7 present descriptions of the proficiency levels of the literacy scales for
mathematics, science and reading respectively (OECD, 2013a). All PISA literacy proficiency
scales have been calibrated on the sample responses from the OECD countries. The scales in
PISA 2012 were adjusted based on the responses to the link items common to the previous
PISA cycles of assessment. In the benchmarking assessments (i.e. PISA 2003 for mathematics,
PISA 2006 for science, PISA 2000 and PISA 2009 for reading) the mean scale score was
initially set at 500 and standard deviation at 100.
- 27 -
Table 1.5
Proficiency level descriptions of the mathematical literacy scale
Level What students can typically do at each level?
6
Students can conceptualize, generalize, and utilize information based on their
investigations and modeling of complex problem situations. They can link different
information sources and representations and flexibly translate among them. Students
at this level are capable of advanced mathematical thinking and reasoning. These
students can apply this insight and understandings along with a mastery of symbolic
and formal mathematical operations and relationships to develop new approaches
and strategies for attacking novel situations. Student at this level can formulate and
precisely communicate their actions and reflections regarding their findings,
interpretations, arguments, and the appropriateness of these to the original situations.
5
Students can develop and work with models for complex situations, identifying
constraints and specifying assumptions. They can select, compare, and evaluate
appropriate problem solving strategies for dealing with complex problems related to
these models. Students at this level can work strategically using broad,
well-developed thinking and reasoning skills, appropriate linked representations,
symbolic and formal characterizations, and insight pertaining to these situations.
They can reflect on their actions and formulate and communicate their
interpretations and reasoning.
4
Students can work effectively with explicit models for complex concrete situations
that may involve constraints or call for making assumptions. They can select and
integrate different representations, including symbolic, linking them directly to
aspects of real-world situations. Students at this level can utilize well-developed
skills and reason flexibly, with some insight, in these contexts. They can construct
and communicate explanations and arguments based on their interpretations,
arguments, and actions.
3
Students can execute clearly described procedures, including those that require
sequential decisions. They can select and apply simple problem solving strategies.
Students at this level can interpret and use representations based on different
information sources and reason directly from them. They can develop short
communications reporting their interpretations, results and reasoning.
2
Students can interpret and recognize situations in contexts that require no more than
direct inference. They can extract relevant information from a single source and
make use of a single representational mode. Students at this level can employ basic
algorithms, formulae, procedures, or conventions. They are capable of direct
reasoning and making literal interpretations of the results.
1
Students can answer questions involving familiar contexts where all relevant
information is present and the questions are clearly defined. They are able to identify
information and to carry out routine procedures according to direct instructions in
explicit situations. They can perform actions that are obvious and follow
immediately from the given stimuli.
Note: There is an additional “Below 1” level in the literacy scale for those students who cannot attain at the
minimum level.
- 28 -
Table 1.6
Proficiency level descriptions of the scientific literacy scale
Level What students can typically do at each level?
6
Students can consistently identify, explain and apply scientific knowledge and
knowledge about science in a variety of complex life situations. They can link
different information sources and explanations and use evidence from those sources
to justify decisions. They clearly and consistently demonstrate advanced scientific
thinking and reasoning, and they demonstrate willingness to use their scientific
understanding in support of solutions to unfamiliar scientific and technological
situations. Students at this level can use scientific knowledge and develop
arguments in support of recommendations and decisions that center on personal,
social or global situations.
5
Students can identify the scientific components of many complex life situations,
apply both scientific concepts and knowledge about science to these situations, and
can compare, select and evaluate appropriate scientific evidence for responding to
life situations. Students at this level can use well-developed inquiry abilities, link
knowledge appropriately and bring critical insights to situations. They can construct
explanations based on evidence and arguments based on their critical analysis.
4
Students can work effectively with situations and issues that may involve explicit
phenomena requiring them to make inferences about the role of science or
technology. They can select and integrate explanations from different disciplines of
science or technology and link those explanations directly to aspects of life
situations. Students at this level can reflect on their actions and they can
communicate decisions using scientific knowledge and evidence.
3
Students can identify clearly described scientific issues in a range of contexts. They
can select facts and knowledge to explain phenomena and apply simple models or
inquiry strategies. Students at this level can interpret and use scientific concepts
from different disciplines and can apply them directly. They can develop short
statements using facts and make decisions based on scientific knowledge.
2
Students have adequate scientific knowledge to provide possible explanations in
familiar contexts or draw conclusions based on simple investigations. They are
capable of direct reasoning and making literal interpretations of the results of
scientific inquiry or technological problem solving.
1
Students have such a limited scientific knowledge that it can only be applied to a
few, familiar situations. They can present scientific explanations that are obvious
and follow explicitly from given evidence.
Note: There is an additional “Below 1” level in the literacy scale for those students who cannot attain at the
minimum level.
- 29 -
Table 1.7
Proficiency level descriptions of the reading literacy scale
Level What students can typically do at each level?
6
Tasks at this level typically require the reader to make multiple inferences, comparisons and contrasts
that are both detailed and precise. They require demonstration of a full and detailed understanding of
one or more texts and may involve integrating information from more than one text. Tasks may require
the reader to deal with unfamiliar ideas, in the presence of prominent competing information, and to
generate abstract categories for interpretations. Reflect and evaluate tasks may require the reader to
hypothesize about or critically evaluate a complex text on an unfamiliar topic, taking into account
multiple criteria or perspectives, and applying sophisticated understandings from beyond the text. There
is limited data about access and retrieve tasks at this level, but it appears that a salient condition is
precision of analysis and fine attention to detail that is inconspicuous in the texts.
5
Tasks at this level that involve retrieving information require the reader to locate and organize several
pieces of deeply embedded information, inferring which information in the text is relevant. Reflective
tasks require critical evaluation or hypothesis, drawing on specialized knowledge. Both interpretative
and reflective tasks require a full and detailed understanding of a text whose content or form is
unfamiliar. For all aspects of reading, tasks at this level typically involve dealing with concepts that are
contrary to expectations.
4
Tasks at this level that involve retrieving information require the reader to locate and organize several
pieces of embedded information. Some tasks at this level require interpreting the meaning of nuances of
language in a section of text by taking into account the text as a whole. Other interpretative tasks require
understanding and applying categories in an unfamiliar context. Reflective tasks at this level require
readers to use formal or public knowledge to hypothesize about or critically evaluate a text. Readers
must demonstrate an accurate understanding of long or complex texts whose content or form may be
unfamiliar.
3
Tasks at this level require the reader to locate, and in some cases recognize the relationship between,
several pieces of information that must meet multiple conditions. Interpretative tasks at this level
require the reader to integrate several parts of a text in order to identify a main idea, understand a
relationship or construe the meaning of a word or phrase. They need to take into account many features
in comparing, contrasting or categorizing. Often the required information is not prominent or there is
much competing information; or there are other text obstacles, such as ideas that are contrary to
expectation or negatively worded. Reflective tasks at this level may require connections, comparisons,
and explanations, or they may require the reader to evaluate a feature of the text. Some reflective tasks
require readers to demonstrate a fine understanding of the text in relation to familiar, everyday
knowledge. Other tasks do not require detailed text comprehension but require the reader to draw on
less common knowledge.
2
Some tasks at this level require the reader to locate one or more pieces of information, which may need
to be inferred and may need to meet several conditions. Others require recognizing the main idea in a
text, understanding relationships, or construing meaning within a limited part of the text when the
information is not prominent and the reader must make low level inferences. Tasks at this level may
involve comparisons or contrasts based on a single feature in the text. Typical reflective tasks at this
level require readers to make a comparison or several connections between the text and outside
knowledge, by drawing on personal experience and attitudes.
1a
Tasks at this level require the reader to locate one or more independent pieces of explicitly stated
information; to recognize the main theme or author’s purpose in a text about a familiar topic, or to make
a simple connection between information in the text and common, everyday knowledge. Typically the
required information in the text is prominent and there is little, if any, competing information. The
reader is explicitly directed to consider relevant factors in the task and in the text.
1b
Tasks at this level require the reader to locate a single piece of explicitly stated information in a
prominent position in a short, syntactically simple text with a familiar context and text type, such as a
narrative or a simple list. The text typically provides support to the reader, such as repetition of
information, pictures or familiar symbols. There is minimal competing information. In tasks requiring
interpretation the reader may need to make simple connections between adjacent pieces of information.
Note: There is an additional “Below 1b” level in the literacy scale for those students who cannot attain at the
minimum level.
- 30 -
Chapter 2
A Profile of Literacy Performance for 15-year-olds in Macao
Abstract: This chapter recapitulates the key results, particularly those pertaining to Macao,
reported in the PISA 2012 Study International Report (OECD, 2013a). It details the profiles of
student performance in mathematical, scientific and reading literacy broken down by gender.
From an international comparison perspective, this chapter highlights a number of
countries/economies that may serve as exemplary models for Macao’s educational
improvement and curriculum reform.
2.1 Macao 15-year-old’s literacy performance
Table 2.1 presents Macao 15-year-olds’ performance results in the three domains of assessment,
i.e. mathematical, scientific and reading literacy, broken down by gender.
Table 2.1
Macao 15-year-olds’ literacy performance results
Descriptive Statistics
Mathematical Literacy Scientific Literacy
Reading Literacy Combined
mathematics Formulate Employ Interpret
Total = 5335
Mean 538.1 544.8 535.9 529.6 520.6 508.9
SD 94.5 111.9 89.7 92.0 78.8 82.3
Males = 2731
Mean 539.5 549.0 536.7 530.5 519.9 491.6
SD 97.2 114.4 92.2 94.8 82.3 84.9
Females = 2604
Mean 536.7 540.3 535.1 528.6 521.2 527.2
SD 91.6 109.1 87.0 89.0 74.9 75.3
Note 1: Examples of mathematical literacy test units are shown in section 1.4 of this report. Note 2: Mathematical literacy as measured by the combined scale is composed of three subscales, namely:
(1) Formulate, (2) Employ, and (3) Interpret.
As seen in Table 2.1, Macao’s 15-year-olds performed very well in mathematics, fairly well in
science, and quite satisfactory in reading (mean= 538.1, 520.6, and 508.9 respectively). In
mathematics, males are only a little bit ahead of the females (539.5 vs. 536.7), whereas it is the
- 31 -
other way round for science (519.9 vs. 521.2). In reading females outperform males by a wide
margin (527.2 vs. 491.6). All standard deviations are low (with the exception of the Formulate
subscale which is larger than 100) showing that student performance on the three literacy scales
and subscales are quite homogenous as compared with the average of the thirty-four OECD
countries. That the standard deviation of the Formulate subscale is larger than the average of
the OECD countries deserve attention by researchers and policy makers in Macao. For the first
time this phenomenon is observed in the history of PISA assessment of literacy performance of
adolescents in Macao.
There are three processes of mathematical literacy in practice in PISA 2012. Amongst these
three processes, Macao’s 15-year-olds performed pretty well in Formulate, very well in Employ,
and quite well in Interpret (the means are 544.8, 535.9 and 529.6 respectively). Contrary to
previous cycles of PISA assessment, gender difference in mathematical literacy favoring males
is not pronounced (539.5 vs. 536.7). One can only observe a small gender difference favoring
males in the process of mathematical formulation (549.0 vs. 540.3).
Each student is assigned to the highest proficiency level for which he or she is expected to
answer correctly the majority of the assessment items. Students classified as “level 1a & 1b” or
“below level 1”) are unable to demonstrate competency in situations required by the easiest
PISA tasks, and therefore they are regarded as at a disadvantage for full participation in
contemporary society and economy. Table 2.2 presents frequency distribution of Macao
15-year-olds’ proficiency levels on the mathematical, scientific and reading literacy scales,
broken down by gender.
- 32 -
Table 2.2
Distribution of Macao 15-year-olds’ proficiency levels on the literacy scales
Proficiency
Level
% of Students
Mathematical Literacy Scientific
Literacy
Reading
Literacy Combined
Mathematics Formulate Employ Interpret
Total= 5335
6 7.6 13.0 5.5 5.6 0.4 0.6
5 16.8 16.9 16.2 14.7 6.2 6.4
4 24.4 21.3 26.4 25.0 26.2 24.0
3 24.0 20.3 25.3 25.1 36.2 34.3
2 16.4 14.9 16.7 17.7 22.2 23.3
1a 7.6 8.7 7.1 8.4 7.4
9.0
1b 2.1
Below 1b 3.2 4.8 2.7 3.6 1.4 0.3
Males = 2731
6 8.2 14.4 6.1 6.1 0.5 0.3
5 17.9 18.1 17.0 15.5 7.0 4.4
4 23.5 20.6 26.2 24.9 26.4 19.6
3 23.4 19.4 24.1 23.8 34.1 33.0
2 15.5 14.1 15.9 17.1 21.8 26.2
1a 7.8 8.5 7.6 8.3 8.4
12.5
1b 3.4
Below 1b 3.7 5.0
3.1 4.3 1.7
0.6
Females = 2604
6 6.9 11.7 4.9 5.0 0.4 0.8
5 15.6 15.8 15.5 13.9 5.4 8.6
4 25.5 22.0 26.7 25.1 25.9 28.7
3 24.6 21.3 26.5 26.5 38.3 35.6
2 17.5 15.7 17.6 18.3 22.7 20.2
1a 7.3 9.0 6.6 8.4 6.3
5.3
1b 0.8
Below 1b 2.7 4.6 2.2 2.8 0.9
0.0
Note1: Description of the mathematical, scientific and reading proficiency levels are shown in
Table 1.5-1.7.
Note2: Contrary to six proficiency levels calibrated in the mathematical and scientific literacy scales
there are seven proficiency levels calibrated in the reading literacy scale.
As seen in Table 2.2, both male and female students’ mathematical literacy proficiency levels
are mainly concentrated at levels 3 and 4, totaling 48.4% of the sampled students. Percentages
- 33 -
of students with proficiency below level 2 for the three literacy scales remain at very low levels
(~11%), showing that the number of low-performing students who cannot function productively
in society is small. Unfortunately, the number of high-performing students with proficiency
level 6 in mathematical literacy is not high compared with our Chinese-speaking counterparts
(OECD, 2013a). In the case of scientific and reading literacy the situation is even alarming as
Macao has less than 1% of its students assessed at proficiency level 6. Figure 2.1 and Figure
2.2 show further the percentages of 15-year-olds at different mathematical literacy proficiency
levels across grades in the Macao sample. In 2012, there is a clear relationship between grade
level and literacy proficiency level in the sample of 15-year-old students in Macao.
Note: There is one grade 12 student graded at proficiency level 6 not shown in the bar chart.
Figure 2.1
Percentage of 15-year-olds at different mathematical literacy proficiency levels across grades in
the Macao sample
- 34 -
Note: There is one grade 12 student graded at proficiency level 6 not shown in the bar chart.
Figure 2.2
Percentage of 15-year-olds at different grade levels across mathematical literacy proficiency
levels in the Macao sample
2.2 An international comparison of performance in the three literacy
domains
Table 2.3 displays literacy performance results allowing educational researchers and policy
makers to compose a league table that is able to serve their international comparison purposes.
Macao’s literacy performance may not only be compared with Asian countries/economies (e.g.
Shanghai-China, Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Japan, and Korea), but also
contrasted with the other non-Asian high-performing countries/economies (e.g. Estonia,
Canada, Finland) in the three domains of literacy assessed in the PISA 2012 Study.
- 35 -
Table 2.3
Performance of countries/economies in the mathematical, scientific and reading literacy in
PISA 2102 Country/Economy
Mathematical Literacy Scientific Literacy Reading Literacy
Mean SE Mean SE Mean SE
Shanghai-China 612.7 3.29 580.1 3.03 569.6 2.86
Singapore 573.5 1.32 551.5 1.51 542.2 1.37
Hong Kong-China 561.2 3.22 554.9 2.61 544.6 2.79
Chinese Taipei 559.8 3.30 523.3 2.33 523.1 3.03
Korea 553.8 4.58 537.8 3.66 535.8 3.94
Macao-China 538.1 0.96 520.6 0.85 508.9 0.91
Japan 536.4 3.59 546.7 3.60 538.1 3.67
Liechtenstein 535.0 3.95 524.7 3.55 515.5 4.10
Switzerland 530.9 3.04 515.3 2.71 509.0 2.57
Netherlands 523.0 3.47 522.1 3.51 511.2 3.47
Estonia 520.5 2.02 541.4 1.95 516.3 2.03
Finland 518.8 1.94 545.4 2.20 524.0 2.38
Canada 518.1 1.84 525.4 1.93 523.1 1.93
Poland 517.5 3.62 525.8 3.12 518.2 3.14
Belgium 514.7 2.08 505.5 2.09 509.1 2.16
Germany 513.5 2.88 524.1 2.96 507.7 2.82
Vietnam 511.3 4.84 528.4 4.31 508.2 4.40
Austria 505.5 2.67 505.8 2.70 489.6 2.76
Australia 504.2 1.64 521.5 1.76 511.8 1.58
Ireland 501.5 2.25 522.0 2.45 523.2 2.55
Slovenia 501.1 1.23 514.1 1.29 481.3 1.22
Denmark 500.0 2.29 498.5 2.74 496.1 2.65
New Zealand 499.7 2.21 515.6 2.14 512.2 2.40
Czech Republic 499.0 2.85 508.3 2.96 492.9 2.87
France 495.0 2.45 499.0 2.58 505.5 2.83
United Kingdom 493.9 3.30 514.1 3.38 499.3 3.50
Iceland 492.8 1.70 478.2 2.12 482.5 1.80
Latvia 490.6 2.75 502.2 2.75 488.7 2.39
Luxembourg 489.8 1.09 491.2 1.30 487.8 1.54
Norway 489.4 2.73 494.5 3.09 503.9 3.22
Portugal 487.1 3.81 489.3 3.75 487.8 3.75
Italy 485.3 2.03 493.5 1.94 489.8 1.97
Spain 484.3 1.90 496.4 1.83 487.9 1.91
Russian Federation 482.2 3.04 486.3 2.85 475.1 2.97
Slovak Republic 481.6 3.43 471.2 3.61 462.8 4.17
United States 481.4 3.60 497.4 3.78 497.6 3.74
Lithuania 478.8 2.64 495.7 2.55 477.3 2.48
Sweden 478.3 2.26 484.8 3.00 483.3 3.00
- 36 -
Table 2.3 (continued) Country/Economy
Mathematical Literacy Scientific Literacy Reading Literacy
Mean SE Mean SE Mean SE
Hungary 477.0 3.19 494.3 2.95 488.5 3.16
Croatia 471.1 3.54 491.4 3.10 484.6 3.31
Israel 466.5 4.68 470.1 4.96 485.8 5.01
Greece 453.0 2.50 466.7 3.12 477.2 3.27
Serbia 448.9 3.39 444.8 3.40 446.1 3.44
Turkey 448.0 4.83 463.4 3.89 475.5 4.21
Romania 444.6 3.76 438.8 3.25 437.6 3.98
Cyprus 439.7 1.07 437.7 1.18 449.0 1.18
Bulgaria 438.7 3.99 446.5 4.78 436.1 6.02
United Arab Emirates 434.0 2.43 448.4 2.81 441.7 2.50
Kazakhstan 431.8 3.03 424.7 2.97 392.7 2.69
Thailand 426.7 3.45 444.0 2.93 441.2 3.08
Chile 422.6 3.07 444.9 2.86 441.4 2.90
Malaysia 420.5 3.18 419.5 3.00 398.2 3.33
Mexico 413.3 1.35 414.9 1.31 423.6 1.51
Montenegro 409.6 1.05 410.1 1.07 422.1 1.18
Uruguay 409.3 2.76 415.8 2.77 411.3 3.16
Costa Rica 407.0 3.04 429.4 2.94 440.5 3.50
Albania 394.3 2.00 397.4 2.44 394.0 3.20
Brazil 388.5 1.94 401.6 2.06 406.5 2.03
Argentina 388.4 3.53 405.6 3.88 396.0 3.70
Tunisia 387.8 3.91 398.0 3.46 404.1 4.51
Jordan 385.6 3.12 409.4 3.12 399.0 3.56
Colombia 376.5 2.89 398.7 3.05 403.4 3.45
Qatar 376.4 0.76 383.6 0.75 387.5 0.82
Indonesia 375.1 4.04 381.9 3.82 396.1 4.21
Peru 368.1 3.69 373.1 3.58 384.2 4.34
OECD average 494.0 0.49 501.2 0.49 496.5 0.51
OECD total 486.9 1.14 496.7 1.18 494.9 1.12
Note: Literacy means which are: (i) statistically significantly higher than that of Macao are shaded; (ii) comparable
with that of Macao are printed in bold italic; (iii) statistically significantly lower than that of Macao are
printed as usual without any change of font or visual effect.
Amongst the 65 participating countries/economies, Macao’s mathematical literacy
performance (score= 538.1) was statistically significantly above the OECD average (score=
494.0), and Macao ranked between 6 and 8 on the combined mathematical scale after taking
the sampling and measurement errors into account. In decreasing order of the mean of the
mathematical literacy score, the five countries/economies statistically significantly higher
- 37 -
than Macao are: Shanghai-China, Singapore, Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei, and Korea,
whereas in the same league table the two countries/economies comparable in performance
with that of Macao are: Japan and Liechtenstein.
A minor focus of the PISA 2012 was on the assessment of scientific literacy. Amongst the 65
participating countries/economies, Macao’s scientific literacy performance (score= 520.6) was
statistically significantly above the OECD average (score= 501.2), and Macao ranked between
9 and 19 on the scientific literacy scale. In descending order of the mean of the scientific
literacy score, countries/economies statistically significantly higher than Macao are:
Shanghai-China, Hong Kong-China, Singapore, Japan, Finland, Estonia, Korea and Canada.
Another minor focus of the PISA 2012 was on the assessment of reading literacy. Amongst the
65 participating countries/economies, Macao’s reading literacy performance (score= 508.9)
was statistically significantly above the OECD average (score= 496.5), and Macao ranked
between 12 and 22 on the reading literacy scale. In descending order of the mean of reading
literacy score, countries/economies statistically significantly higher than Macao are:
Shanghai-China, Hong Kong-China, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Finland, Ireland, Chinese Taipei,
Canada, Poland and Estonia.
- 38 -
Chapter 3
Relationships between Literacy Performance and ESCS
for Macao Schools
Abstract: This chapter analyzes the intricate relationships between literacy performance and
ESCS (i.e. PISA index of economic, social and cultural status of the home) so as to throw lights
on the equity dimension of educational provision for the 15-year-olds in Macao.
3.1 Plots of literacy performance with ESCS in the Macao sample
As seen in Figure 3.1 and 3.2, there are slight non-linear relationships in the Macao sample
between student’s mathematical, scientific and reading literacy performance with economic,
social and cultural status (ESCS) of the home. The same relationships are also observed for the
three mathematical literacy subscales (i.e. Formulate, Employ and Interpret). Generally
speaking, higher ESCS is associated with higher mathematical, scientific and reading literacy
performance.
Figure 3.1
Plots of literacy performance with ESCS
350
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
-2.50 -2.00 -1.50 -1.00 -0.50 0.00 0.50 1.00
Mathematical literacy Scientific literacy Reading literacy
Index of Economic, Social and Cultural Status (ESCS)
Score
- 39 -
Figure 3.2
Plots of mathematical literacy subscale performance with ESCS
In PISA 2012, Macao 15-year-old students’ mathematical literacy performance is indeed very
favorable. Comparing amongst the three mathematical literacy subscales, Macao students
performed better on Formulate than the other two Employ and Interpret subscales, and this is
especially so at the higher end of the ESCS continuum. Given that standard deviation of the
Formulate performance measure is larger than expected, in what way ESCS affects problem
formulation of Macao students is a worthwhile topic of research.
Although the impact of ESCS on mathematical, scientific and reading literacy is not
pronounced by international standard (OECD, 2013b), elevating homes of low ESCS to the
higher levels are always desirable. In the long run, this will bring about better educational
opportunities for the students and at the same time increase their mathematical, scientific and
reading proficiency levels.
3.2 Relationships of school literacy performance with school ESCS
Table 3.1 presents the school mean of the mathematical, scientific and reading literacy
500
520
540
560
580
600
-2.50 -2.00 -1.50 -1.00 -0.50 0.00 0.50 1.00
Index of Economic, Social and Cultural Status (ESCS)
Score
- 40 -
performance score of sampled students in Macao, as well as the mean of the ESCS of each of
the 45 participating schools.
Table 3.1
Literacy performance and ESCS of participating schools
School ID
Mathematical literacy
Scientific literacy
Reading literacy
ESCS
1 482.8 489.5 463.3 -1.337
2 465.2 471.1 441.7 -1.342
3 527.9 514.1 505.0 0.018
4 580.6 473.1 619.5 -0.728
5 561.9 551.2 544.3 -0.722
6 538.8 538.5 536.4 -1.124
7 620.8 581.3 587.2 -0.866
8 398.4 416.6 395.9 -0.850
9 564.7 540.7 527.3 -1.088
10 577.1 555.7 543.6 -1.074
11 525.6 506.5 513.3 -1.207
12 628.4 588.5 587.7 -1.110
13 537.5 514.6 505.2 -1.299
14 507.7 500.3 498.8 -1.262
15 547.4 538.8 526.2 -0.796
16 541.9 534.1 520.4 -1.310
17 494.7 492.8 487.4 -1.366
18 577.3 554.2 549.9 -0.071
19 477.9 461.2 461.7 -1.189
20 541.6 536.2 533.9 -0.895
21 456.0 460.7 441.2 -0.743
22 554.5 553.2 542.4 -1.350
23 438.7 426.1 426.9 -1.026
24 479.8 468.4 465.1 -1.196
25 458.6 465.8 462.1 -1.135
26 497.0 492.7 476.8 -1.222
27 556.3 553.2 526.5 -0.983
28 576.5 546.9 528.8 -0.940
29 423.5 407.7 421.1 -1.437
30 544.5 456.3 421.5 -0.597
31 432.7 450.3 435.1 -0.175
32 562.5 533.5 499.0 -0.530
33 401.8 421.2 388.2 -1.028
34 609.7 579.8 588.6 -0.344
35 469.8 474.4 459.5 -1.462
- 41 -
Table 3.1 (continued)
School ID
Mathematical literacy
Scientific literacy
Reading literacy
ESCS
36 358.1 378.2 357.0 -0.781
37 624.2 587.8 586.8 0.098
38 492.3 490.5 468.9 -0.760
39 568.2 525.7 513.8 -0.395
40 541.7 506.7 497.4 -0.089
41 547.9 542.9 538.6 0.218
42 549.2 525.1 517.3 0.123
43 574.8 548.8 512.6 0.162
44 521.2 552.3 525.2 0.937
45 531.2 514.3 487.6 -0.859
Macao Mean 538.1 520.6 508.9 -0.886
Based on the data shown in Table 3.1, the school performance-ESCS relationship for each of
the three literacy measures may be plotted (see Figure 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5). It is observed that
school literacy performance is not related to school ESCS at the lower end of the ESCS
continuum (say ESCS <-0.50). However, at the higher end (say ESCS >0.00), the literacy
performance of the schools generally are very favorable (i.e. above the OECD average).
Regarding this, although Macao is famed worldwide over the years for its very high level of
educational equity there is a very slight sign of educational inequity present in Macao’s basic
education system. How to help students of disadvantaged homes for better learning
opportunities and educational provision deserves the attention of the researchers and the policy
makers.
- 42 -
Figure 3.3
Plot of school mathematics literacy performance with school ESCS
Figure 3.4
Plot of school scientific literacy performance with school ESCS
- 43 -
Figure 3.5
Plot of school reading literacy performance with school ESCS
Same as the previous three cycles of PISA assessment, the slope of the literacy performance
and ESCS relationship is gentle and the percentage of total literacy performance variance
explained by the PISA index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) of the home is the
lowest of the 65 participating countries/economies (OECD, 2013b). Therefore, Macao’s basic
educational system replicates the findings of previous cycles of assessment in succeeding to
provide equitable schooling opportunities for the student body it served.
- 44 -
Chapter 4
Quality Education Indicators for Improving Mathematics
Education in Macao Schools
Abstract: This chapter seeks to search for effective quality education indicators amongst the
scaled measures available in the PISA 2012 database for improving mathematics education in
Macao schools. Comparing student responses to items pertaining to these indicators between
Macao and OECD countries, suggestions for school and student improvement are summarized.
The purpose is to throw lights on the design of intervention programs and classroom
environments which may be used for the betterment of mathematics teaching and learning in
Macao schools in the 21st century.
4.1 Identification of quality education indicators
In PISA 2012, students answered a questionnaire that took about 40 minutes to complete. The
questionnaire focuses on students’ personal background, as well as variables that have a bearing
on the quality and equity of educational provision in Macao schools. Hence, quality education
indicators may be identified to reflect on the dispositions and conditions facilitative of
mathematics teaching and learning in the Macao schooling contexts. Five sets of mathematics
education variables affecting Macao 15-year-olds’ mathematical literacy performance have
been identified, namely (1) Learning Mathematics (e.g. familiarity with mathematical
concepts); (2) Mathematics Experiences (e.g. mathematics teacher’s classroom management);
(3) Problem Solving Experiences (e.g. openness for problem solving); (4) Availability and Use
of ICT (e.g. ICT use at home for school-related tasks); (5) Classroom and School Climate (e.g.
teacher- student relations) (OECD, 2013c & 2013d).
Table 4.1 presents the list of these five sets of quality education indicators applicable to Macao
schooling contexts. In the last column of the table finds the Pearson correlation coefficients
between these indicators with mathematical literacy performance. In absolute values the
coefficients range from 0.139 to 0.513, indicating that the variable concerned can explain a
considerable proportion (uniquely up to 26%) of the mathematical literacy variance of the
students in the Macao sample. It is estimated a total of 41.3% of the total variance of
- 45 -
mathematical literacy variance can be accounted for by the five sets of quality education
indicator variables.
Table 4.1
Quality education indicators for mathematics education in Macao schools
Variable Name Variable Label r
Learning Mathematics
FAMCON Familiarity with Mathematical Concepts .474
EXPUREM Experience with Pure Mathematics Tasks at School .149
MATHEFF Mathematics Self-Efficacy .513
SCMAT* Mathematics Self-Concept .371
INTMAT* Mathematics Interest .304
INSTMOT* Instrumental Motivation for Mathematics .232
MATWKETH* Mathematics Work Ethics .241
MATBEH Mathematics Behavior .233
SUBNORM* Subjective Norms in Mathematics .181
ANXMAT Mathematics Anxiety -.321#
FAILMAT Attributions to Failure in Mathematics -.171#
Mathematics Experiences
CLSMAN* Mathematics Teacher's Classroom Management .215
COGACT* Cognitive Activation in Mathematics Lessons .181
MTSUP* Mathematics Teacher's Support .156
DISCLIMA Disciplinary Climate .139
Problem Solving Experiences
PERSEV Perseverance .188
OPENPS Openness for Problem Solving .290
Availability and Use of ICT
ICTRES ICT resources .151
HOMSCH ICT Use at Home for School-related Tasks .214
Classroom and School Climate
STUDREL* Teacher-Student Relations .187
BELONG* Sense of Belonging to School .175
ATSCHL* Attitude towards School: Learning Outcomes .200
ATTLNACT* Attitude towards School: Learning Activities .156
* To facilitate comparative education, the items forming the scale constructs are anchored to account for social
and cultural differences of the participating economies in PISA 2012. # r is the Pearson correlation with mathematical literacy performance. For ANXMAT and FAILMAT, the
negative coefficients indicate that higher level of anxiety and attribution is related to lower level of
mathematical literacy performance.
4.2 Suggestions for school and student improvement according to the
quality indicators
Student responses to each of the 23 quality education indicators for Macao and OECD
countries are summarized in Appendices 1-5. Comparing the distribution of responses between
- 46 -
Macao and OECD countries one can make suggestions for school and student improvement in
mathematical literacy performance. These suggestions are summarized in Table 4.2-4.6, one for
each of the five sets of the quality education indicators so as to provide inspiration and
guidance to the stake-holders of Macao schools. They are made in the light of the very
favorable mathematical literacy performance of a large number of 15-year-old Macao students
assessed in PISA 2012.
Table 4.2
Quality indicators pertaining to Learning Mathematics for the improvement of
mathematics education in Macao schools
Quality
Indicator
Sample Item in the PISA 2012
Student Questionnaire
Suggestion for School and
Student Improvement Familiarity with
Mathematical
Concepts
Thinking about mathematical concepts:
how familiar are you with the following
terms?
Exponential Function.
(16 items/ 5-point Likert scale from “Never
heard of it” to “Know it well, understand
the concept”)
Most concepts are familiar to Macao
students. In spite of this, students at
earlier grade levels (i.e. grade 7-9) can
still familiarize themselves with some
very basic mathematical concepts (e.g.
probability) in the school mathematics
curriculum. Some students (~4% of the
Macao sample) are yet to be introduced
the topic of solving equation of the
simplest kind.
Experience with
Pure
Mathematics
Tasks at School
How often have you encountered the
following types of mathematics tasks
during your time at school?
Solving an equation like 6x2 + 5 = 29.
(3 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Frequently” to “Never”
Mathematics
Self-Efficacy
How confident do you feel about having to
do the following mathematics tasks?
Understanding graphs presented in
newspapers.
(8 items/ 4-point Likert scale from “Very
confident” to “Not at all confident”)
More mathematical problems are needed
to be set in real world contexts and
drawn from a variety of daily life
experiences of the students so as to
increase mathematics self-efficacy of the
students.
Mathematics
Self-Concept
Thinking about studying mathematics: to
what extent do you agree with the following
statements?
I am just not good at mathematics.
(5 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
Students’ mathematics self-concept
needs to be strengthened through
assessment for learning by their
teachers. Both mathematical processes
and outcomes should be examined.
Students will then have a better idea of
their own learning progressions.
Mathematics
Interest
Thinking about your views on
mathematics: to what extent do you agree
with following statements?
I enjoy reading about mathematics.
(4 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
More than 50% of Macao adolescents do
not enjoy their mathematics learning
very much. They are not interested in
things they learn in mathematics.
Fostering of the intrinsic motivation in
mathematics learning should be high up
in the agenda of mathematics education
in Macao schools.
- 47 -
Table 4.2 (continued) Instrumental
Motivation for
Mathematics
Thinking about your views on
mathematics: to what extent do you agree
with following statements?
I will learn many things in mathematics that
will help me get a job.
(4 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
Instrumental motivation is needed to be
strengthened. Students need to
understand the importance of
mathematics in daily lives and nowadays
workplaces, recognizing that learning
mathematics improves one’s career
prospects and chances of advancement.
Mathematics
Work Ethics
Thinking about the mathematics you do for
school: to what extent do you agree with the
following statements?
I keep my mathematics work well
organized.
(9 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
Students should be initiated into the
habits of paying attention and listening
carefully to their teacher’s instruction.
The mathematics schoolwork, whether
classwork or homework, should always
be very well-organized.
Mathematics
Behavior
How often do you do the following things
at school and outside of school?
I take part in mathematics competitions.
(8 items/ 4-point Likert scale from “Always
or almost always” to “Never or rarely”
Apart from daily mathematics classwork
and homework, more mathematics
activities should be organized to
students, e.g. doing mathematics as an
extracurricular activity and programing
computers outside of school.
Subjective
Norms in
Mathematics
Thinking about how people important to
you view mathematics: how strongly do
you agree with the following statements?
My parents believe it’s important for me to
study mathematics.
(6 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
Parent education emphasizing the
importance of mathematics education
for their children’s career is needed.
Collaborative teamwork activities to
promote peer interactions for successful
problem solving are desirable. The ethos
established enhances children’s
mathematics learning.
Mathematics
Anxiety
Thinking about studying mathematics: to
what extent do you agree with the following
statements?
I feel helpless when doing a mathematics
problem.
(5 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
There are clear signs of mathematics
anxiety in Macao students, fearing of
getting poor grades in mathematics.
Teachers should set the difficulty levels
of the problems within the zone of
proximal development of the students.
Prompt assistance should be rendered to
students.
Attributions to
Failure in
Mathematics
Suppose that you are a student in the
following situation: Each week, your
mathematics teacher gives a shot quiz.
Recently you have done badly on these
quizzes. Today you are trying to figure out
why. How likely are you to have these
thoughts or feelings in this situation?
Sometimes the course material is too hard.
(6 items/ 4-point Likert scale from “Very
likely” to “Not at all likely”)
Some weak students attribute their
failure in mathematics to a number of
reasons other than luck and their own
inadequate abilities, e.g. teachers did not
get students interested in the learning
materials. There are also some strong
students who attribute their failure to
their teachers not explaining well the
concepts. Hence teachers should make
judgments wisely and revise their
instruction accordingly.
- 48 -
Table 4.3
Quality indicators pertaining to Mathematics Experience for the improvement of
mathematics education in Macao schools
Quality
Indicator
Sample Item in the PISA 2012
Student Questionnaire
Suggestion for School and
Student Improvement Mathematics
Teacher's
Classroom
Management
Thinking about the mathematics teacher
who taught your last mathematics class: to
what extent do you agree with the following
statements?
My teacher keeps the class orderly.
(4 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
Mathematics teacher’s classroom
management can be improved further by
starting classes on time. The class should
be kept orderly and tuned in attentively
before starting the mathematics
instruction.
Cognitive
Activation in
Mathematics
Lessons
Thinking about the mathematics teacher
that taught your last mathematics class:
How often does each of the following
happen?
The teacher asks questions that make us
reflect on the problem.
(9 items/ 4-point Likert scale from “Always
or almost always” to “ Never or rarely”)
Cognitive activation in mathematics
lessons needs to be greatly strengthened.
In mathematics lessons students should
be initiated to reflect on the problem
solving processes. More opportunities
should be provided to students to solve
non-routine problems and apply the
concepts that they have learned to new
contexts.
Mathematics
Teacher's
Support
Thinking about the mathematics teacher
who taught your last mathematics class: to
what extent do you agree with the following
statements?
My teacher provides extra help when
needed.
(4 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
While Macao mathematics teachers
generally render their support quite well
to their students, improvement may still
be possible by providing extra help
when needed and giving students ample
opportunity to express opinions.
Disciplinary
Climate
How often do these things happen in your
mathematics lessons?
Students don’t listen to what the teacher
says.
(5 items/ 4-point Likert scale from “Every
lesson” to “Never or hardly ever”)
While the disciplinary climate is
generally very satisfactory there is a
need to mobilize inattentive students to
engage promptly in classroom
instruction and listen quietly to what the
teacher says.
- 49 -
Table 4.4
Quality indicators pertaining to Problem Solving Experience for the improvement of
mathematics education in Macao schools
Quality
Indicator
Sample Item in the PISA 2012
Student Questionnaire
Suggestion for School and
Student Improvement Perseverance How well does each of the following
statements below describe you?
When confronted with a problem, I give up
easily.
(5 items/ 5-point Likert scale from “Very
much like me” to “Not at all like me”)
While most students persevere in their
problem solving tasks there is still a
sizable proportion of students put off
difficult problems. Teacher guidance
regarding time management in addition
to application of effective problem
solving strategies is needed.
Openness for
Problem Solving
How well does each of the following
statements below describe you?
I like to solve complex problems.
(5 items/ 5-point Likert scale from “Very
much like me” to “Not at all like me”)
Students have yet to develop openness
for problem solving and like to
challenge complex problems. They are
able to link facts together, seek
explanation for things, and handle a lot
of information.
Table 4.5
Quality indicators pertaining to Availability and Use of ICT for the improvement of
mathematics education in Macao schools
Quality
Indicator
Sample Item in the PISA 2012
Student Questionnaire
Suggestion for School and
Student Improvement ICT Resources Are any of these devices available for you
to use at home?
Desktop computer.
(11 items/ 3-point Likert scale from “Yes,
and I use it” to “No”)
Though there is no shortage of ICT
resources at school and at home, there is
a serious lack of ICT use at home for
school work, e.g. browsing the Internet
for schoolwork, and downloading and
uploading materials from the school’s
websites. ICT Use at
Home for
School-related
Tasks
How often do you use a computer for the
following activities outside of school?
Doing homework on the computer.
(7 items/ 5-point Likert scale from “Never
hardly ever” to “Every day”)
- 50 -
Table 4.6
Quality indicators pertaining to Classroom and School Climate for the improvement of
mathematics education in Macao schools
Quality
Indicator
Sample Item in the PISA 2012
Student Questionnaire
Suggestion for School
Improvement Teacher-Student
Relations
Thinking about the teachers at your school:
to what extent do you agree with the
following statements?
Students get along well with most teachers.
(5 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
There is still ample room for
improvement in teacher-student
relations in Macao. Teachers should
really listen to what their student say and
bear in mind that they have to treat
students very fairly.
Sense of
Belonging to
School
Thinking about your school: to what extent
do you agree with the following
statements?
I feel like I belong at school.
(9 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
Sense of belonging to school and
friendships amongst peers are needed
cultivation. They are encouraged to
organize or participate in school
activities. With their collaborative
efforts and contributions it is hoped that
they will be more proud of their schools’
achievement.
Attitude towards
School:
Learning
Outcomes
Thinking about what you have learnt at
school: to what extent do you agree with the
following statements?
School has done little to prepare me for
adult life when I leave school.
(4 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
There is still ample room for
improvement in the student’s attitude
towards their learning activities and
outcomes of school learning. Schools
should do more to prepare them for adult
life when they leave school, and give
them confidence to try hard at school to
make responsible decisions.
Attitude towards
School:
Learning
Activities
Thinking about your school: to what extent
do you agree with the following
statements?
Trying hard at school is important.
(4 items/ 4-point Likert scale from
“Strongly agree” to “Strongly disagree”)
In sum, evidenced-based decision making is of paramount importance for school and
student improvement, and the identification of quality education indicators is an
important step to achieve this end. A comparison of the test and questionnaire statistics
between Macao and OECD countries renders educational researchers opportunities to
suggest improvement ideas from an international comparison perspective so as to elevate
Macao students’ mathematical literacy performance to new heights. Admittedly, in spite
of the impressive high mathematical literacy performance of the Macao adolescents, this
report shows that there is still ample room for school and student improvement. The
findings documented in this report are important for educational practitioners to
understand the potential benefits regarding the use of Macao-PISA 2012 data for the
betterment of quality and equity of mathematics education in Macao.
- 51 -
Chapter 5
Trend of Literacy Performance of Macao Students
Abstract: This chapter seeks to portray the trend of literacy performance of Macao’s
15-year-olds for mathematics, science and reading during 2003-2012. It highlights the
remarkable achievement in mathematical literacy, and underscores the impressive growth
in reading literacy of Macao students after a decade of PISA assessment. The trend results
point out the importance of elevating the mathematical and reading literacy performance
standard of the low-achievers. In the case of scientific literacy the performance standard
of the high-achievers should be the cause of concern.
5.1 Trend of literacy performance of Macao 15-year-olds in the past decade
Macao participated in OECD’s 3-yearly PISA literacy assessment in 2003, 2006, 2009,
and 2012. In each cycle of assessment, mathematical, scientific and reading literacy of
15-year-old students are assessed, allowing researchers to chart and monitor literacy
performance across time. Using common test items in each cycle of PISA assessment it is
possible to compare the literacy performance of students across cycles of PISA
assessment. Figure 5.1 describes the trend of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy
performance of 15-year-old students in Macao in the past decade (i.e. 2003-2012).
Across the four time points of PISA assessment, it can be observed that in 2012 Macao
students have made remarkable achievement to reach high standards in mathematical
literacy (see Figure 5.1). This renders Macao being positioned amongst the top positions
in the league table of PISA 2012, in which the other three Chinese-speaking counterparts
(i.e. Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) are also positioned (see Table 2.3). Regarding
this achievement of high standards, Macao’s girls are to be commended. In PISA 2012,
unlike previous cycles of PISA assessment, there is no longer any gender difference in
mathematical literacy favoring males in the Macao’s 15-year-old student population (see
Table 2.1).
- 52 -
Scientific literacy performance is comparable between 2003 and 2012, and between the
years from 2006 to 2009 the performance is a bit lower in standard (see Figure 5.1).
Although the performance level is very satisfactory above the OECD average Macao
students are far lacking behind their Chinese-speaking counterparts (see Table 2.3). More
work need to be planned and undertaken to raise the percentage of the high-achievers.
After six years (from 2003 to 2009) of a gentle decline in reading literacy performance,
Macao students have made impressive growth in reading literacy performance (see Figure
5.1). For the first time in the history of PISA assessment Macao student’s reading literacy
performance is above the OECD average (score= 500). Although both boys and girls in
Macao are to be commended for this growth in reading literacy performance, more work
need to be planned and done for the boys because their reading literacy performance is
still below the average of the OCED countries (see Table 2.1).
Figure 5.1
Trend of mathematical, scientific and reading literacy performance of 15-year-old students in
Macao (2003-2012)
- 53 -
5.2 Strengths and weaknesses of Macao 15-year-olds’ literacy performance in
the last decade
Figure 5.2-5.4, respectively for mathematics, science and reading, depicts the QQ-plots of
literacy performance between PISA 2003 and PISA 2012, which are the first and most recent
PISA assessment for Macao. The plots uncover the strengths and weaknesses of Macao
15-year-old’s literacy acquisition in the last decade, as the performance scores of students
situated at the same percentile of the literacy score distribution between two occasions of
assessment (i.e. PISA 2003 vs. PISA 2012) can be compared accordingly.
Figure 5.2
QQ-Plot of mathematical literacy performance (2003 vs. 2012)
- 54 -
Figure 5.3
QQ-Plot of scientific literacy performance (2003 vs. 2012)
Figure 5.4
QQ-Plot of reading literacy performance (2003 vs. 2012)
- 55 -
For mathematics, it is uncovered that in spite of the remarkable achievement of Macao
students in PISA 2012, the mathematical literacy performance of the low-achievers (i.e.
students graded at proficiency level one or below) are actually worse than those in PISA
2003.
For science, the QQ-plot uncovers the crux of the problem in Macao’s basic science
education. While the low-achievers in 2012 are performing a little bit better in scientific
literacy, it is the other way round for students graded at level 3 or above. Evidently, more
work need to be planned and carried out in order to raise both the percentage and
performance standard of the high-achievers.
For reading, similar situation as that of mathematics is observed. The reading literacy
performance of the low-achievers (i.e. students graded at proficiency level one or below)
in PISA 2012 are actually worse than those in PISA 2003. It is note-worthy that the
high-achievers in 2012 are performing a lot better than those in 2003.
References
OECD (2013a). PISA 2012 Results: What Students Know and Can Do: Student Performance in
Mathematics, Reading and Science (Volume I), OECD Publishing.
OECD (2013b). PISA 2012 Results: Excellence through Equity: Giving Every Student the
Chance to Succeed (Volume II), OECD Publishing.
OECD (2013c). PISA 2012 Results: Ready to Learn: Students’ Engagement, Drive and
Self-beliefs (Volume III), OECD Publishing.
OECD (2013d). PISA 2012 Results: What Makes a School Successful: Resources, Policies and
Practices (Volume IV), OECD Publishing.
OECD (2013e). PISA 2012 Assessment and Analytical Framework: Mathematics,
Reading, Science, Problem Solving and Financial Literacy, OECD Publishing.
- 56 -
Appendix 1: Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality education indicators
pertaining to Learning Mathematics
Table A1.1
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Familiarity with Mathematics Concepts between
Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about mathematical
concepts: how familiar are you
with the following terms?
%
Never heard of it
Heard of it once or twice
Heard of it a few times
Heard of it often
Know it well, understand the
concept
Exponential Function Macao 12.1 11.6 17.9 26.1 32.4
OECD 44.8 18.9 16.6 10.9 8.8
Divisor Macao 2.5 2.4 5.1 11.8 78.1
OECD 11.7 9.5 12.0 19.7 47.2
Quadratic Function Macao 8.1 6.8 11.7 23.6 49.8
OECD 17.0 12.5 16.5 21.5 32.5
Proper Number Macao 24.5 13.3 21.7 17.9 22.6
OECD 27.2 17.3 19.0 17.6 18.9
Linear Equation Macao 1.3 2.1 6.7 17.6 72.3
OECD 12.8 9.6 13.2 22.6 41.8
Vectors Macao 33.3 12.6 18.1 15.2 20.8
OECD 34.9 15.1 14.9 14.9 20.3
Complex Number Macao 10.9 13.8 24.6 23.0 27.6
OECD 33.0 20.2 19.1 14.9 12.9
Rational Number Macao 1.3 2.9 9.7 25.8 60.3
OECD 14.5 10.9 14.6 22.9 37.2
Radicals Macao 6.3 4.4 8.8 20.6 59.9
OECD 15.1 10.7 12.1 17.9 44.2
Subjunctive Scaling Macao 65.0 13.5 11.7 5.9 3.8
OECD 62.5 16.5 11.4 6.0 3.6
Polygon Macao 1.6 2.6 8.5 23.0 64.3
OECD 17.8 8.5 11.5 18.2 44.1
Declarative Fraction Macao 59.6 14.5 12.9 7.0 6.0
OECD 57.1 17.3 12.5 7.6 5.5
Congruent Figure Macao 8.2 5.9 10.4 17.2 58.3
OECD 27.9 12.7 13.9 15.5 30.0
Cosine Macao 22.9 6.9 9.1 16.2 44.8
OECD 32.7 9.0 9.8 14.2 34.3
Arithmetic Mean Macao 22.7 11.5 14.4 15.7 35.7
OECD 30.8 12.4 13.1 14.4 29.4
Probability Macao 18.1 13.9 19.5 17.9 30.6
OECD 7.7 7.2 12.0 22.0 51.1
- 57 -
Table A1.2
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Experience with Pure Mathematics Tasks at
School between Macao and OECD countries
How often have you encountered the following
types of mathematics tasks during your time at
school?
%
Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never
Solving an equation like 6x2 + 5 =29. Macao 68.3 24.9 5.3 1.6
OECD 61.6 23.7 8.4 6.3
Solving an equation like
2(x+3) = (x + 3)(x-3).
Macao 69.3 24.0 5.0 1.7
OECD 60.9 23.8 8.8 6.5
Solving an equation like 3x + 5 =17. Macao 65.8 24.5 8.0 1.7
OECD 62.6 23.0 8.2 6.1
Table A1.3
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Self-Efficacy between Macao and
OECD countries
How confident do you feel about having to do
the following mathematics tasks?
%
Very confident Confident
Not very confident
Not at all confident
Using a train timetable to work out how long
it would take to get from one place to another.
Macao 26.0 45.4 25.1 3.5
OECD 38.9 42.5 15.4 3.2
Calculating how much cheaper a TV would be
after a 30% discount.
Macao 53.9 37.2 7.8 1.1
OECD 42.5 37.3 16.6 3.6
Calculating how many square metres of tiles
you need to cover a floor.
Macao 39.1 37.0 21.3 2.7
OECD 32.0 36.1 26.0 5.8
Understanding graphs presented in
newspapers.
Macao 28.7 44.9 23.2 3.2
OECD 37.0 42.6 16.6 3.8
Solving an equation like 3x+5= 17. Macao 73.2 22.2 3.3 1.2
OECD 57.4 27.8 11.1 3.7
Finding the actual distance between two
places on a map with a 1:10,000 scale.
Macao 32.5 33.0 28.0 6.4
OECD 23.2 32.7 34.3 9.9
Solving an equation like
2(x+3) = (x + 3) (x - 3).
Macao 54.4 30.1 12.5 3.0
OECD 39.7 33.4 19.8 7.1
Calculating the petrol consumption rate of a
car.
Macao 14.8 32.4 42.5 10.3
OECD 20.2 35.8 34.4 9.6
- 58 -
Table A1.4
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Self-concept between Macao and
OECD countries
Thinking about studying mathematics: to what
extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
I am just not good at mathematics. Macao 17.8 30.6 39.1 12.6
OECD 16.4 26.3 39.0 18.4
I get good grades in mathematics. Macao 6.9 29.9 46.8 16.4
OECD 16.0 42.9 31.1 10.0
I learn mathematics quickly. Macao 8.1 36.7 42.8 12.4
OECD 14.3 37.4 35.3 12.9
I have always believed that mathematics is one
of my best subjects.
Macao 10.7 21.6 40.7 27.0
OECD 15.0 23.2 34.4 27.4
In my mathematics class, I understand even the
most difficult work.
Macao 6.2 28.9 47.5 17.3
OECD 8.9 28.6 41.0 21.5
Table A1.5
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Interest between Macao and
OECD countries
Thinking about your views on mathematics: to what
extent do you agree with following statements?
%
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
I enjoy reading about mathematics. Macao 7.0 35.5 44.2 13.3
OECD 6.1 24.6 43.4 26.0
I look forward to my mathematics lessons. Macao 7.9 33.8 44.6 13.8
OECD 8.1 28.1 41.3 22.5
I do mathematics because I enjoy it. Macao 10.6 31.7 43.9 13.8
OECD 10.6 27.5 39.6 22.2
I am interested in the things I learn in mathematics. Macao 11.2 35.0 43.1 10.8
OECD 13.9 39.2 33.3 13.6
- 59 -
Table A1.6
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Instrumental Motivation for Mathematics
between Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about your views on mathematics: to what
extent do you agree with following statements?
%
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
Making an effort in mathematics is worth it because
it will help me in the work that I want to do later on.
Macao 14.2 53.8 25.6 6.5
OECD 27.5 47.5 17.9 7.0
Learning mathematics is worthwhile for me
because it will improve my career prospects,
chances.
Macao 15.7 55.9 22.2 6.2
OECD 28.9 49.3 14.8 7.0
Mathematics is an important subject for me
because I need it for what I want to study later on.
Macao 15.9 46.4 29.9 7.8
OECD 25.6 40.7 23.0 10.7
I will learn many things in mathematics that will
help me get a job.
Macao 11.9 45.1 33.7 9.3
OECD 23.3 47.2 21.0 8.5
- 60 -
Table A1.7
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Work Ethics between Macao and
OECD countries
Thinking about the mathematics you do for school: to
what extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
I finish my homework in time for mathematics class. Macao 25.0 51.1 20.3 3.6
OECD 23.4 45.8 23.9 6.8
I work hard on my mathematics homework. Macao 21.7 55.5 19.7 3.0
OECD 15.0 42.1 34.8 8.0
I am prepared for my mathematics exams. Macao 28.7 50.8 16.9 3.6
OECD 19.9 47.9 26.7 5.5
I study hard for mathematics quizzes. Macao 14.7 44.4 34.3 6.6
OECD 14.6 38.1 38.6 8.6
I keep studying until I understand mathematics
material.
Macao 14.3 43.9 36.2 5.6
OECD 17.4 43.7 32.5 6.4
I pay attention in mathematics class. Macao 19.2 54.7 22.7 3.4
OECD 23.4 55.5 17.4 3.7
I listen in mathematics class. Macao 19.9 57.6 19.6 2.8
OECD 26.2 58.0 12.7 3.1
I avoid distractions when I am studying mathematics. Macao 14.3 50.3 31.2 4.2
OECD 15.7 43.4 34.8 6.2
I keep my mathematics work well organized. Macao 10.4 39.4 41.7 8.4
OECD 16.7 43.0 33.1 7.2
- 61 -
Table A1.8
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Behavior between Macao and
OECD countries
How often do you do the following things at
school and outside of school?
%
Always or almost always
Often Sometimes Never or rarely
I talk about mathematics problems with my
friends.
Macao 4.9 21.6 55.7 17.8
OECD 3.9 13.7 40.5 41.9
I help my friends with mathematics. Macao 7.0 23.8 51.8 17.5
OECD 5.1 20.3 45.5 29.1
I do mathematics as an extracurricular activity. Macao 1.4 5.9 30.6 62.0
OECD 4.0 11.2 27.1 57.7
I take part in mathematics competitions. Macao 2.0 4.4 21.7 71.9
OECD 2.5 4.6 13.2 79.7
I do mathematics more than 2 hours a day
outside of school.
Macao 2.0 5.5 30.4 62.1
OECD 2.8 6.5 24.8 66.0
I play chess. Macao 4.0 12.5 37.4 46.0
OECD 4.0 8.4 22.5 65.1
I program computers. Macao 3.0 7.6 26.5 62.8
OECD 5.0 10.0 20.3 64.7
I participate in a mathematics club. Macao 1.2 2.1 9.1 87.7
OECD 1.5 2.3 4.9 91.2
- 62 -
Table A1.9
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Subjective Norms in Mathematics between
Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about how people important to you view
mathematics: how strongly do you agree with the
following statements?
%
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
Most of my friends do well in mathematics. Macao 7.4 46.8 41.3 4.6
OECD 7.9 52.3 35.5 4.3
Most of my friends work hard at mathematics. Macao 4.9 35.2 50.9 8.9
OECD 7.2 43.9 43.0 5.9
My friends enjoy taking mathematics tests. Macao 3.6 23.0 55.4 18.1
OECD 2.4 10.8 55.2 31.5
My parents believe it’s important for me to study
mathematics.
Macao 21.5 57.2 18.0 3.3
OECD 40.6 49.8 7.8 1.8
My parents believe that mathematics is important
for my career.
Macao 17.6 49.6 28.5 4.3
OECD 33.8 46.5 16.6 3.0
My parents like mathematics. Macao 5.3 27.3 54.2 13.2
OECD 12.5 45.6 33.9 8.0
Table A1.10
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Anxiety between Macao and
OECD countries
Thinking about studying mathematics: to what
extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly
agree
Agree Disagree Strongly
disagree
I often worry that it will be difficult for me in
mathematics classes.
Macao 26.4 44.0 22.9 6.7
OECD 19.5 39.9 30.0 10.5
I get very tense when I have to do mathematics
homework.
Macao 8.5 23.6 50.1 17.8
OECD 10.2 22.5 44.4 23.0
I get very nervous doing mathematics
problems
Macao 8.8 27.3 49.2 14.7
OECD 8.1 22.5 47.7 21.7
I feel helpless when doing a mathematics
problem.
Macao 12.0 27.5 45.2 15.3
OECD 8.6 21.3 46.4 23.7
I worry that I will get poor grades in
mathematics.
Macao 30.2 35.1 22.4 12.3
OECD 25.5 35.8 24.7 14.0
- 63 -
Table A1.11
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Attributions to Failure in Mathematics between
Macao and OECD countries
Suppose that you are a student in the following situation:
Each week, your mathematics teacher gives a shot quiz.
Recently you have done badly on these quizzes. Today
you are trying to figure out why. How likely are you to
have these thoughts or feelings in this situation?
%
Very likely Likely Slightly likely
Not at all likely
I’m not very good at solving mathematics
problems.
Macao 14.9 39.5 35.3 10.2
OECD 15.3 42.4 30.2 12.1
My teacher did not explain the concepts well
this week.
Macao 8.9 31.0 43.9 16.2
OECD 12.5 35.3 35.3 16.9
This week I made bad guesses on the quiz. Macao 8.8 29.8 39.5 22.0
OECD 11.0 34.9 32.1 22.0
Sometimes the course material is too hard. Macao 18.7 40.4 32.1 8.7
OECD 25.4 45.4 21.8 7.4
The teacher did not get students interested in
the material.
Macao 21.2 36.3 32.3 10.1
OECD 18.7 34.6 31.5 15.2
Sometimes I am just unlucky. Macao 13.7 25.5 33.7 27.1
OECD 15.8 32.8 29.8 21.6
- 64 -
Appendix 2: Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality education indicators
pertaining to Mathematics Experiences
Table A2.1
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Teacher’s Classroom Management
between Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about the mathematics teacher who
taught your last mathematics class: to what
extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
My teacher gets students to listen to him or
her.
Macao 20.8 61.4 15.3 2.6
OECD 30.9 51.6 14.0 3.5
My teacher keeps the class orderly. Macao 18.3 60.9 17.9 2.9
OECD 26.7 50.8 18.5 4.1
My teacher starts lessons on time. Macao 29.2 57.7 11.2 1.8
OECD 31.8 47.2 17.3 3.7
The teacher has to wait a long time for
students to quieten down.
Macao 5.5 23.8 50.7 19.9
OECD 10.3 28.0 41.5 20.2
- 65 -
Table A2.2
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Cognitive Activation in Mathematics Lessons
between Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about the mathematics teacher who
taught your last mathematics class: how often
does each of the following happen?
%
Always or almost always
Often Sometimes Never or
rarely
The teacher asks questions that make us reflect
on the problem. Macao 10.7 32.7 44.8 11.8
OECD 21.1 38.3 31.8 8.8
The teacher gives problems that require us to
think for an extended time. Macao 17.4 46.2 32.1 4.3
OECD 15.8 37.5 37.9 8.9
The teacher asks us to decide on our own
procedures for solving complex problems. Macao 10.3 30.9 47.4 11.5
OECD 13.6 28.1 36.7 21.6
The teacher presents problems for which there
is no immediately obvious method of solution. Macao 10.4 26.2 44.8 18.6
OECD 14.3 32.9 37.4 15.4
The teacher presents problems in different
contexts so that students know whether they
have understood the concepts.
Macao 9.9 26.2 44.4 19.4
OECD 20.8 38.2 30.9 10.0
The teacher helps us to learn from mistakes
we have made.
Macao 19.1 39.6 33.5 7.8
OECD 26.0 34.2 27.7 12.1
The teacher asks us to explain how we have
solved a problem. Macao 16.8 37.0 35.6 10.5
OECD 34.2 36.0 22.4 7.4
The teacher presents problems that require
students to apply what they have learned to
new contexts.
Macao 11.1 29.2 44.3 15.4
OECD 24.0 38.2 29.3 8.6
The teacher gives problems that can be solved
in several different ways. Macao 19.8 42.2 33.0 5.0
OECD 21.1 39.0 32.4 7.4
- 66 -
Table A2.3
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Mathematics Teacher’s Support between Macao
and OECD countries
Thinking about the mathematics teacher who
taught your last mathematics class: to what
extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
My teacher lets us know we need to work
hard.
Macao 28.0 63.8 6.6 1.6
OECD 30.1 53.7 13.2 3.0
My teacher provides extra help when needed. Macao 27.0 61.2 9.5 2.3
OECD 32.2 48.1 14.6 5.1
My teacher helps students with their learning. Macao 27.6 63.0 7.5 1.8
OECD 31.5 50.3 13.8 4.4
My teacher gives students the opportunity to
express opinions.
Macao 24.5 59.5 12.3 3.6
OECD 27.4 47.7 17.7 7.2
Table A2.4
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Disciplinary Climate between Macao and
OECD countries
How often do these things happen in your
mathematics lessons?
%
Every lesson
Most lessons
Some lessons
Never or hardly ever
Students don’t listen to what the teacher says. Macao 4.5 19.9 63.6 12.0
OECD 10.1 22.0 48.0 20.0
There is noise and disorder. Macao 4.5 11.0 55.1 29.5
OECD 11.4 20.8 41.8 26.0
The teacher has to wait a long time for
students to quieten down.
Macao 4.1 10.5 47.3 38.1
OECD 9.9 17.9 38.0 34.2
Students cannot work well. Macao 4.5 11.3 50.7 33.5
OECD 7.1 15.1 41.9 35.9
Students don’t start working for a long time
after the lesson begins.
Macao 6.2 14.7 53.7 25.4
OECD 9.8 17.2 37.3 35.7
- 67 -
Appendix 3: Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality education indicators
pertaining to Problem Solving Experiences
Table A3.1
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Perseverance between Macao and OECD
countries
How well does each of the following
statements below describe you?
%
Very much
like me
Mostly like me
Some-what
like me
Not much
like me
Not at all like
me
When confronted with a problem, I give up
easily.
Macao 3.5 9.2 37.5 39.7 10.1
OECD 6.4 10.7 26.9 35.8 20.2
I put off difficult problems. Macao 5.1 16.4 44.5 26.7 7.2
OECD 11.1 19.6 32.5 25.1 11.8
I remain interested in the tasks that I start. Macao 14.3 36.6 37.5 10.2 1.5
OECD 16.6 32.3 31.1 15.7 4.2
I continue working on tasks until everything
is perfect.
Macao 20.9 32.0 32.4 12.8 1.9
OECD 17.1 26.7 30.0 20.1 6.1
When confronted with a problem I do more
than what is expected of me.
Macao 17.6 28.6 36.9 15.0 1.9
OECD 13.0 21.5 32.1 24.6 8.9
Table A3.2
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Openness for Problem Solving between Macao
and OECD countries
How well does each of the following
statements below describe you?
%
Very much
like me
Mostly like me
Some-what
like me
Not much
like me
Not at all like
me
I can handle a lot of information. Macao 8.6 22.2 40.6 25.7 2.9
OECD 18.2 34.9 32.1 12.2 2.6
I am quick to understand things. Macao 12.0 26.2 40.8 18.5 2.5
OECD 20.4 36.2 29.7 11.2 2.5
I seek explanations for things. Macao 18.9 29.6 38.1 12.3 1.1
OECD 25.0 35.7 27.8 9.5 2.1
I can easily link facts together. Macao 12.5 25.6 39.7 19.9 2.2
OECD 21.4 35.3 29.7 11.3 2.3
I like to solve complex problems. Macao 10.0 15.4 29.4 31.3 13.9
OECD 13.9 19.2 27.1 24.7 15.0
- 68 -
Appendix 4: Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality education indicators
pertaining to Availability and Use of ICT
Table A4.1
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the ICT Resources between Macao and OECD
countries
Are any of these devices available for you to use at
home? %
Yes, and I use it
Yes, but I don’t use it
No
Desktop computer Macao 86.2 6.9 6.9
OECD 68.6 13.7 17.7
Portable laptop, or notebook Macao 44.8 17.3 37.8
OECD 71.2 9.2 19.6
Tablet computer (e.g. iPad® , BlackBerry®
PlayBookTM)
Macao 26.8 8.3 64.9
OECD 23.5 7.1 69.3
Internet connection Macao 97.3 1.3 1.4
OECD 91.2 2.1 6.7
Video games console, e.g. Sony® PlayStation® Macao 36.2 11.0 52.7
OECD 53.7 16.6 29.7
Mobile phone (without Internet access) Macao 54.4 23.7 21.9
OECD 54.8 18.4 26.9
Mobile phone (with Internet access) Macao 65.3 11.7 23.0
OECD 71.8 9.6 18.6
Portable music player (Mp3/Mp4 player, iPod®
or similar)
Macao 58.1 12.3 29.6
OECD 75.3 11.5 13.2
Printer Macao 47.9 13.8 38.3
OECD 72.8 11.5 15.7
USB (memory) stick Macao 89.3 6.4 4.3
OECD 83.7 10.4 6.0
ebook reader, e.g. Amazon® KindleTM
Macao 11.0 7.9 81.1
OECD 12.1 10.8 77.1
- 69 -
Table A4.2
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the ICT Use at Home for School-related Tasks
between Macao and OECD countries
How often do you use a computer for the
following activities outside of school? %
Never or
hardly ever
Once or twice a month
Once or
twice a
week
Almost every day
Every day
Browsing the Internet for schoolwork (e.g. for
preparing an essay or presentation).
Macao 12.0 43.7 33.7 7.7 2.9
OECD 14.3 30.7 36.2 13.4 5.4
Using email for communication with other
students about schoolwork.
Macao 42.7 23.0 22.0 9.3 3.1
OECD 38.7 22.7 21.7 11.0 5.9
Using email for communication with teachers
and submission of homework or other
schoolwork.
Macao 56.8 28.7 11.5 2.0 0.9
OECD 53.1 26.1 13.6 4.5 2.6
Downloading, uploading or browsing material
from your school’s website (e.g. timetable or
course materials).
Macao 47.0 28.6 18.9 3.9 1.7
OECD 45.6 23.9 16.8 8.6 5.2
Checking the school’s website for
announcements, e.g. absence of teachers.
Macao 61.0 22.5 12.4 2.8 1.3
OECD 50.5 19.2 14.3 9.2 6.8
Doing homework on the computer. Macao 14.4 32.4 34.3 12.5 6.4
OECD 26.3 25.5 27.0 14.1 7.2
Sharing school related materials with other
students.
Macao 43.4 24.1 20.6 8.9 2.9
OECD 43.9 23.0 19.2 9.5 4.4
- 70 -
Appendix 5: Frequency distribution of student responses to the quality education indicators
pertaining to Classroom and School Climate
Table A5.1
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Teacher-Student Relations between Macao and
OECD countries
Thinking about the teachers at your
school: to what extent do you agree with
the following statements?
%
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
Students get along well with most teachers. Macao 25.7 65.7 7.3 1.2
OECD 21.1 61.2 15.5 2.2
Most teachers are interested in students’
well-being.
Macao 18.5 63.4 15.5 2.6
OECD 19.6 57.3 19.5 3.5
Most of my teachers really listen to what I
have to say.
Macao 12.0 53.9 28.4 5.6
OECD 18.9 55.5 21.6 4.0
If I need extra help, I will receive it from my
teachers.
Macao 20.3 66.3 11.5 2.0
OECD 23.7 57.9 15.2 3.3
Most of my teachers treat me fairly. Macao 16.0 58.8 18.8 6.4
OECD 23.1 57.6 14.8 4.5
- 71 -
Table A5.2
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Sense of Belonging to School between Macao
and OECD countries
Thinking about your school: to what
extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
I feel like an outsider (or left out of things) at
school.
Macao 3.8 11.9 57.9 26.4
OECD 3.1 8.1 42.2 46.6
I make friends easily at school. Macao 18.7 63.2 16.2 2.0
OECD 30.3 56.6 11.1 2.0
I feel like I belong at school. Macao 10.6 54.9 27.8 6.7
OECD 27.3 54.0 14.5 4.2
I feel awkward and out of place in my school. Macao 2.9 13.6 60.6 22.8
OECD 3.0 9.4 41.7 45.8
Other students seem to like me. Macao 7.9 64.8 23.6 3.7
OECD 22.6 66.6 8.7 2.1
I feel lonely at school. Macao 3.5 13.9 58.5 24.2
OECD 2.2 6.7 37.8 53.2
I feel happy at school. Macao 18.8 63.0 15.2 3.1
OECD 24.4 55.5 15.7 4.5
Things are ideal in my school. Macao 6.8 46.3 38.8 8.1
OECD 14.9 46.3 29.9 8.9
I am satisfied with my school. Macao 9.4 50.6 29.2 10.8
OECD 23.6 54.6 15.9 5.9
Table A5.3
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Attitude towards School: Learning Outcomes
between Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about what you have learnt at
school: to what extent do you agree with
the following statements?
%
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
School has done little to prepare me for adult
life when I leave school.
Macao 7.7 42.4 45.5 4.3
OECD 7.1 22.3 52.0 18.6
School has been a waste of time. Macao 3.1 9.4 67.2 20.3
OECD 3.3 8.2 51.4 37.1
School has helped give me confidence to
make decisions.
Macao 9.0 64.2 23.5 3.4
OECD 19.0 57.7 19.1 4.2
School has taught me things which could be
useful in a job.
Macao 16.5 67.1 13.3 3.2
OECD 34.9 52.1 9.9 3.0
- 72 -
Table A5.4
A comparison of 15-year-olds’ responses to the Attitude towards School: Learning Activities
between Macao and OECD countries
Thinking about your school: to what
extent do you agree with the following
statements?
%
Strongly agree
Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
Trying hard at school will help me get a good
job.
Macao 25.1 56.3 15.6 3.0
OECD 46.0 45.4 7.3 1.4
Trying hard at school will help me get into a
good college.
Macao 35.3 58.0 5.7 1.0
OECD 52.4 41.3 5.1 1.3
I enjoy getting good grades. Macao 41.5 50.4 6.9 1.1
OECD 58.2 36.7 4.1 1.0
Trying hard at school is important. Macao 30.7 58.4 9.1 1.8
OECD 46.5 46.6 5.5 1.4