Reading Literacy in PISA

The Reading literacy component requires students to perform a range of tasks with different kinds of text. The tasks range from retrieving specific information to demonstrating a broad understanding and interpreting text and reflecting on its content and features.

PISA assesses reading literacy in three dimensions:

• First, the form of reading material, or text. Many student reading assessments have focused on prose organized in sentences and paragraphs, or "continuous texts". In addition, PISA includes "non-continuous texts" which presents information in other ways, such as in lists, forms, graphs, or diagrams. Distinctions are also made between a range of prose forms, such as narration, exposition and argumentation. Such distinctions are based on the principle that individuals will encounter a range of written forms in adult life, and that it is not sufficient to be able to read a limited number of text types typically encountered in school.

• Second, the type of reading task. This corresponds at one level to the various cognitive skills that are needed to be an effective reader, and at another, to the characteristics of questions set in the assessment. Students are not assessed on the most basic reading skills, as it is assumed that most 15 year-olds will have already acquired these. Rather, they are expected to demonstrate their proficiency in retrieving information, forming a broad general understanding of the text, interpreting it, reflecting on the content and form of texts in relation to their own knowledge of the world, and arguing their own point of view.

• Third, the use for which the text was constructed - its context or situation. For example a novel, personal letter or biography is written for people's "private" use; official documents or announcements for "public" use; a manual or report for "occupational" use; and a textbook or worksheet for "educational" use. An important reason for making these distinctions is that some individuals may perform better in one reading situation than in another, in which case it is desirable to include a range of types of reading in the assessment items.