Volume 5 - Number 3 - 2012 - PISA Assessment - The Problematic Issue of Administrating PISA Science Literacy Survey to Ultra-Orthodox Pupils in Israel, 2006

Oct 15, 2026

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The article examines the problematic administration of the PISA science literacy assessment to ultra-orthodox schools in Israel. It argues that some test texts may offend ultra-orthodox students or conflict with orthodox upbringing, thereby creating a cultural bias. The work outlines PISA’s international framework and scoring structure, describes Israel’s participation and performance in 2002 and the focus of PISA 2006 on science literacy, and defines cultural bias in educational evaluation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

PISA Assessment

PISA overview and scoring

PISA implementation and Israel results

Scientific literacy dimensions

Cultural Bias

Definition and theoretical background

Cultural bias in curricula and examples

Impact on ethnic minority pupils and test objectivity

Volume 5, Number 3, 2012 PISA ASSESSMENT: THE PROBLEMATIC ISSUE OF ADMINISTRATING PISA SCIENCE LITERACY SURVEY TO ULTRA-ORTHODOX PUPILS IN ISRAEL, 2006 Sara Zamir, Helena Sabo Abstract. The aim of the present article is to point out the problematic issue of administrating PISA science literacy exam to the ultra-orthodox schools in Israel. It has been assumed that some texts included in the test may offend the feelings of the ultra-orthodox population or may contradict Orthodox upbringing and therefore constitute a cultural bias. Key words: Assessment, PISA, cultural bias, ultra-orthodox schools. PISA Assessment The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an internationally standardized assessment developed by the OECD in order to examine skills that students have acquired as they near the end of mandatory schooling. PISA is a paper-and-pencil exam that is designed to assess 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading, mathematics, and science literacy. Each student takes a two-hour assessment. Assessment items include a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions that require students to come up with their own response. PISA scores are reported on a scale with a mean score of 500 and a standard deviation of 100. Tests are typically administered to between 4,500 and 10,000 students in each country. The PISA assessment was implemented in 43 countries in the first assessment in 2000, in 41 countries in the second assessment in 2003 and at least 58 countries in the third assessment during 2006. Since the year 2000, over 70 countries and economies have participated in PISA. Compatibly, PISA 2000 focused on reading literacy and PISA 2003 focused on mathematics literacy. However, PISA 2006 focuses on science literacy. PISA assesses scientific literacy in three dimensions: scientific concepts, scientific processes & scientific situations ([http://www.pisa.gc.ca/science_e.shtm](http://www.pisa.gc.ca/science_e.shtm)). PISA was introduced in Israel in 2002, two years after it was administered elsewhere, with somewhat disastrous results: Israel was ranked 33rd among 41 participating countries: In reading comprehension, Israel ranked 30th. The category was led by Finland, Canada and New Zealand. In mathematics, Israel ranked 31st, with Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea taking top marks. In the sciences, Israel ranked even lower, in 33rd place. The top marks went to South Korea, Japan and Hong-Kong. Only students from Latin American countries, Bulgaria and Albania received consistently lower marks than Israeli students in the international survey (Literacy skills for the world of tomorrow, Unesco Unit of Statistics, 2003) . Average Achievements in Scientific Literacy, PISA 2002 Picture 1: Average achievements in Scientific Literacy, PISA, 2002 The aim of this research has been to point out the problematic issue of administrating PISA science literacy survey to the ultra-orthodox schools in Israel: It is assumed that some texts may offend the feelings of the ultra-orthodox population or may contradict Orthodox upbringing and therefore constitute, to some extent, a cultural bias. Cultural bias Cultural bias is the phenomenon of unraveling and judging event by standards, norms, and conventions inherent to one's own culture. When people of a culture make assumptions based upon their own upbringing, then they can mistake these assumptions for laws of logic or nature. Historically, the research on cultural bias in teaching and learning can be traced back to the research of Lev Vygotsky (1978) and Alexander Luria (1976) . Both psychologists approach fused "cultural","historical", and "instrumental" psychology and is most commonly referred to presently as culturalhistorical psychology. It emphasized both the mediatory role of culture, particularly language, in the development of higher mental functions and the cultural bias inherent in evaluators' critique of young children's problem-solvi

FAQs

What is the main concern about administering PISA science literacy to ultra-orthodox pupils in Israel?

The article argues that some texts in the assessment may offend ultra-orthodox students’ feelings or contradict orthodox upbringing, creating cultural bias.

What is PISA and what does it assess?

PISA is an internationally standardized assessment developed by the OECD to examine skills students acquire near the end of mandatory schooling, including reading, mathematics, and science literacy.

How does the article explain cultural bias in educational testing?

Cultural bias is described as judging events using norms and standards from one’s own culture, where assumptions may be mistaken for universal logic or nature—affecting how evaluators critique student problem-solving.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Putri