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This book covers results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a component of the OECD´s Indicator Programme. Includes Content related research; Methodological research; Context related research and Research on trends in PISA.

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The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an important part of the OECD´s Indicator Programme. It collects data and provides comparative indicators of education systems in OECD member and partner countries. PISA provides datasets of outstanding quality regarding samples, instruments and analyses. In addition to its important function for educational monitoring, the PISA datasets are the basis of a wide range of secondary analyses from a number of different scientific perspectives and disciplines. The aim of this book is to make some of the outstanding PISA related research results available for a wider audience. Specifically four research areas will be focused: (1) Content related research; (2) Methodological research; (3) Context related research; (4) Research on trends in PISA. Each part of the book is devoted to one of these areas and will start with an introduction from a leading expert in the field followed by chapters covering research conducted in this field.

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Manfred Prenzel is Professor of Empirical Educational Research (Susanne Klatten Endowed Chair) and Dean of the TUM School of Education (Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany). He has been a member of the OECD Science Expert Group since the first PISA survey in 2000. As the national project manager for PISA 2003, 2006 and 2012, he supplemented the international surveys in Germany with additional samples and assessments that provided data on the broader range of conditions of teaching and learning on the school and classroom level. Manfred Prenzel is also Director of the German Center for International Large Scale Assessment (ZIB) at TU Muenchen.

Mareike Kobarg is a research fellow at the Leibniz-Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN, Kiel, Germany). Her research focuses on science teaching and learning mainly using video based methods. She has currently published further analysis concerning the international Comparison of Science Teaching and Learning in the OECD countries.

Katrin Schöps is a researcher at the Leibniz-Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN, Kiel, Germany). She holds a PhD in Ecology and an MSc in Biology. Her research focuses on the development and assessment of science competencies across the life span with an emphasis on large scale assessments.

Silke Rönnebeck has a Ph.D. in natural sciences and works as a research fellow at the Leibniz-Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN, Kiel, Germany). She was part of the national coordination team of PISA 2006 in Germany. Her research focuses on the development and assessment of science competencies and the improvement of pre-service and in-service science teacher education based on methods of IBST.

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