It is better to know the truth than to wander in the dark like a fool with his eyes closed.

Examining the quality of subject teaching, 80% of students surveyed said that most of the classes in these subjects are clearly structured, teachers consistently manage the process and have clear plans for the organization of classroom work. At the same time, teenagers who study in lyceums, gymnasiums and specialized schools in large cities, noted that their teachers are less prone to strict regulation of work during classes. It is noteworthy that adolescents who study in such educational institutions have higher results than their peers. Therefore, it is necessary to study in more detail the methods and techniques of teaching used by teachers in lyceums, gymnasiums and specialized schools, and to assess the possibilities of using this experience in ordinary secondary schools.

One of the President’s initiatives is also the development of e-learning resources aimed at developing students’ mathematical competence, using mathematical tools to solve game and strategic problems of varying difficulty. The domestic IT sphere has to cope with this task, because with the spread of the Internet to the most remote and inaccessible parts of our country e-learning resources, textbooks-museums and laboratories become the optimal tool for solving students’ access to educational resources , especially in rural areas.

It is planned to expand the use of digital technologies during classes, in particular in order to form in students stable skills of search, selection of the necessary information, its critical analysis and evaluation for reliability, etc. Work is underway on digital resources of natural sciences, in particular virtual laboratories.

There is also a final stage of work on the creation of a museum of science in Kiev, where the central place will be given to the exposition of mathematics. Ukraine, like most developed countries, seeks to introduce the latest methods of museum pedagogy. Traditional museums with their closed expositions no longer meet the requirements of the modern visitor, especially young people. The museum will become a modern center of science – an educational space where the scientific achievements of mankind, their principles and interaction will be demonstrated in an interactive and accessible form.

Thus, an important strategic goal for Ukraine is to reduce the gap in the performance of different groups of students. At the same time, the priority task can be considered to increase the level of subject literacy of students with a low level of socio-economic status. This will provide an opportunity both to get closer to the goal of education – to provide fair and equal opportunities for all adolescents, and to increase their success at the national level in general.

secondary education reformPISA in Ukraineblogs

02/10/2020

The next school year has been declared the Year of Mathematics

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has declared the 2020/21 academic year the Year of Mathematical Education in Ukraine. The relevant decree was published by the Office of the President of Ukraine.

The purpose of the Year of Mathematics in Ukraine is to create opportunities for equal access of Ukrainian schoolchildren to modern and high-quality mathematics education and the formation of their proper level of mathematical competence.

As part of the Year of Mathematics, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is instructed to develop and approve a set of activities, which includes the introduction of modern practice-oriented principles, development of e-learning resources, creating conditions for modern teaching of mathematical disciplines, in particular with effective technologies and development of mathematical competence of students taking into account the best domestic and international practices.

The experience of States that demonstrate high mathematical competence in the PISA international quality of education survey should also be studied and implemented.

In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to create conditions in schools for studying mathematics in an individual program for students in need of additional support in mastering the subject, to ensure proper organization of the introduction of compulsory external examination in mathematics from 2021, to expand opportunities for students’ mathematical competence. a network of mathematics clubs in schools, institutions of additional education, holding summer mathematics schools for students and teachers.

As you know, the idea of ​​holding the Year of Mathematical Education in Ukraine was initiated after the announcement of the results of the international study of mathematical competence PISA-2018, which was attended by Ukrainian schoolchildren.

PISA in Ukraine

01/30/2020

The difference in knowledge between students in rural and urban schools is significant

Minister of Education and Science Anna Novosad notes that Ukraine’s debut participation in the PISA international study, which aims to study the level of reading, math and science competence in 15-year-olds, showed a significant difference in student achievement depending on the type of terrain.

She said this, commenting on the results of the study, which were published on December 3.

“There is a significant difference in achievements depending on the type of terrain. In large cities, the average score is 499.4, which is significantly different from the average score of students living in cities – 479.9. The average scores of students living in villages, hamlets and rural areas are even more different. The average score of such students is 420.6. This is the difference with large cities in more than 2.5 years of study. 2.5 years !!! “, – the minister noted.

Also, the results of the study showed that boys read much less than girls.

“In Ukraine, the average reading performance among boys is lower (450.1 points) than among girls (483.6 points). In Ukraine, the gap (33.5 points) is larger than the OECD average (30.1 points). This is a gap of more than one year of study, “said Anna Novosad.

PISA in Ukraine

04/12/2019

Ukraine does not miss the state of PISA shock

The Minister of Education Lilia Hrynevych expressed the opinion that Ukraine should not miss the state of shock after receiving the results of the international PISA survey, in which Ukrainian schoolchildren took part for the first time this year. The Minister of Education said this in an interview with Slovo i Delo, answering a question about the place that Ukraine can get according to the results of PISA-2018.

“I would very much like us to be able to rank high among countries in this comparative study, but unfortunately I am sure that will not happen. You know, as a rule, the state of the participating countries after receiving the first results of the study can be described as a PISA shock. And this state does not pass us by, ”the minister noted.

According to her, the myth of the greatness of Soviet education and the greatness of Ukrainian education as a wreckage of the Soviet Union still reigns in Ukraine.

“Today we have dramatic differences in the quality of education provided by different schools in Ukraine. Most schools – namely, they are important when we talk about mass education – are focused on pushing knowledge into the child and do not stimulate creativity and cognition, creative thinking, which helps to solve complex problems, and this is what PISA checks, “said Lilia Grinevich.

She also noted that without a doubt, Ukrainian education has extraordinary teachers and wonderful schools, but this is not enough.

“The achievements and advantages of modern education should be the property of every school – only then can the educational system be considered good. However, I believe that PISA will give us a number of important benefits. The first is the awareness of the real state of affairs in Ukrainian education. It is better to know the truth than to wander in the dark like a fool with his eyes closed. The results obtained will be another cornerstone of change. Second, PISA today will allow us to compare ourselves to tomorrow. We are starting a reform – all first-graders go to a new Ukrainian school. We will get the results of PISA as of the beginning of the changes, as well as the results of the reform. This will allow us to assess the effectiveness of transformations, “said Education Minister Lilia Grinevich.

As you know, the goal of the PISA International Student Assessment Program is to compare the educational systems of about 80 countries around the world through measurements of students’ competencies in reading, mathematics and natural sciences, not directly related to mastering school programs. The PISA survey is conducted every three years, starting in 2000, by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. This year, Ukraine joined the study for the first time. 

PISA in Ukraine

08/22/2018

In Ukraine, it is proposed to promote PISA research

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, UNICEF in Ukraine and several non-governmental organizations have signed a memorandum of cooperation.

The document provides for the implementation of the international PISA study in Ukraine, recognition of its importance and the willingness of the parties to contribute to the promotion of its results.

The participants of the signing agreed on the stages of work on the implementation of the international PISA study in Ukraine.

As part of the cooperation, it is planned to launch an updated PISA website with a special test module, present national and international reports on PISA-2018, hold an international conference on educational assessments EA-2019, conduct trainings on the use and interpretation of PISA data for journalists and analysts.