PISA 2015 Results (Volume II): Science Teaching Practices and Scientific Literacy
OECD · 2016
grade Dlongitudinalindependentfailed
Sample
~519,000 students, 72 systems
Population
15-year-olds across 72 systems; standardized PISA science literacy.
Design
Cross-national CORRELATIONAL analysis; self-reported practice frequency; severe confounding (more hands-on inquiry in weaker/less-disciplined classes; reverse causation).
Key findings
The headline 'inquiry is negatively related to achievement' — across 72 systems more inquiry correlated with LOWER science scores, teacher-directed with higher. But purely correlational and heavily confounded; it collapses under Jerrim 2019's within-country controls.
Genetic confound
Severe: purely correlational/self-report; ability sorting and reverse causation. Never causal.
Replication notes
The raw negative attenuates to null with better controls (Jerrim 2019). Use as confounded correlational evidence only.
DOI / URL
10.1787/9789264267510-en
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent inquiry-based instruction -> science literacy | association | NEGATIVE in nearly all systems (e.g. New Zealand ~ -14 points) | standardized | cross-sectional | none | not-applicable | domain-skill |
| Teacher-directed instruction -> science literacy | association | POSITIVE (strongest of the practice indices) | standardized | cross-sectional | none | not-applicable | domain-skill |
Cited by
- Explicit instruction vs discovery/inquiry — how much guidance?moderate supportconf: mediumgc: low
- Inquiry-based science teaching vs explicit and textbook science teachingmixedconf: mediumgc: low