Equivalence of Translations in International Reading Literacy Studies

Arffman, Inga

doi:10.1080/00313830903488460

Cited by 30 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Our study has greatest family resemblance with another one that compared the equivalence of translations in international reading literacy studies (Arffman, 2010). That study noted (a) problems related to language-specific differences in grammar (e.g., word length, clause structure, reference and pronoun systems), (b) language-specific differences in writing systems (e.g., semantic use of commas), (c) language-specific differences in meaning (e.g., frequency of use of technical words in vernacular), (d) differences in culture (narratives situated in specific cultural settings, e.g., U.S.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That study noted (a) problems related to language-specific differences in grammar (e.g., word length, clause structure, reference and pronoun systems), (b) language-specific differences in writing systems (e.g., semantic use of commas), (c) language-specific differences in meaning (e.g., frequency of use of technical words in vernacular), (d) differences in culture (narratives situated in specific cultural settings, e.g., U.S. Deep South), (e) strategies used and choices made by the translators, and (f) writing errors (e.g., punctuation) (Arffman, 2010). In that study, the author conducted the analyses based on her theoretically informed interpretations of literary texts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The validity of inferences based on scores of multi-lingual assessment tests, however, critically depends on the comparability of scores. That is, it is vital to determine whether the assessments measure what they are designed to assess rather than constructirrelevant factors such as the quality of test adaptation including differences in vocabulary, grammar, or semantic nuances (Arffman, 2010;Grisay & Monseur, 2007). Even though test developers spend considerable resources on developing comparable versions of multi-lingual assessments, subsequent psychometric analyses often exhibit differential item functioning (DIF) (Artelt & Baumert, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating Linguistic Sources of Differential Item Functioning Using Expert Think-Aloud Protocols in Science Achievement Tests

Roth

Oliveri

Sandilands

et al. 2013

International Journal of Science Education

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Even if national and international assessments are designed to be comparable, subsequent psychometric analyses often reveal differential item functioning (DIF). Central to achieving comparability is to examine the presence of DIF, and if DIF is found, to investigate its sources to ensure differentially functioning items do not lead to bias. In this study, sources of DIF were examined using think-aloud protocols. The think-aloud protocols of expert reviewers

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating Linguistic Sources of Differential Item Functioning Using Expert Think-Aloud Protocols in Science Achievement Tests

Roth

Oliveri

Sandilands

et al. 2013

International Journal of Science Education

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“…Such texts cannot possibly be called "authentic". Arffman (2010) notes that bad translations may also cause the readers to lose interest and motivation to get engaged with the text, and that this may severely have a negative effect on the tests results. This effect is likely to be higher in countries where students are critical, independent and unwilling to obey the authority of schools and the teachers.…”

Section: Item Translations: An Examplementioning

confidence: 99%

PISA as a Challenge for Science Education: Inherent Problems and Problematic Results from a Global Assessment Regime

Sjøberg¹

2017

RBPEC

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We experience the emergence of a global educational reform movement, where the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) through its project PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) has become the key driver. PISA and its focus on league tables and rankings influence educational debates and educational policy world-wide. The OECD is, with PISA as the main instrument, emerging as a kind of global ministry of education, promoting theirown standardized curriculum and system of quality assessment. PISA is designed to be used by the 30+ modern, highly developed countries in the OECD, but is also used by some 40 less developed non-OECD countries as a benchmark for their education system. This influence of OECD will be further widened by a version of PISA that will target developing countries, “PISA for development”. This instrument has the same underlying assumptions and ideals as PISA: the main concern is the national economy, not the personal development of the learner. There is also the underlying assumption that competition is always good, and that a free-market economy always promotes quality. The increasing role taken by the OECD is pushing aside the influence of international organization with different agendas and ideals, like UNESCO and UNICEF. Since studies like PISA by design cannot identify causal relationships behind neither success nor failure, the educational consequences of the studies are not clear. In many countries, PISA results are used to legitimize market-driven reforms, control of the teachers, payment by test results for teachers and principals, erosion of the public school system, privatization and the introduction of more testing regimes.In this development, the OECD now operates in close contact with the world’s largest commercial company in the education sector, Pearson Inc. The success of PISA as an instrument of governance is currently expanded also to target schools and their teaching in a more direct way: a PISA-like instrument, “PISA for Schools” is developed for local use, for schools and school districts, enabling them to compare their own schools to “PISA winners”. This development may also create anxiety and concern not only at the national or federal level, but also at the local level. This test is also a commercial product, opening up a large and untapped market.

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“…(Skolverket, 2007) Language translation procedures in PISA are highly standardized to assure assessment quality (Bybee, McCrae, & Laurie, 2009;Grisay, 2003). However, several studies have pointed at translation-related problems in PISA (Arffman, 2010;Puchhammer, 2007). The two words in bold font, sämre and bättre, stands for worse and better.…”

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confidence: 99%

PISA truth effects: the construction of low performance

Serder

Ideland

2015

Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education

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Countries with large numbers of students who struggle to master basic reading skills at age 15 are likely to be held back in the future, when those students become adults who lack the skills needed to function effectively in the workplace and in society. Among students who fail to reach the baseline level of performance (Level 2) in mathematics, reading or science, most can be expected not to continue with education beyond compulsory schooling, and therefore risk facing difficulties using mathematics, reading and using science concepts throughout their lives … Even in the average OECD country, where more than one in five students does not reach Level 2, tackling such low performance is a major challenge. (OECD, 2013, p. 254, our emphases in italics)Keywords: performance; competency; PISA; students; STS; scientific literacy This quote is from an OECD publication that reports the results from the 2012 PISA survey, on which the above analysis is based. The Swedish PISA results from that year were the lowest ever in all three knowledge areas at stake, which shocked the nation. Since low performance on the PISA is put forward as serious personal and societal risks, this concern is expected. In December 2013, the Swedish results were broadcast directly from a press conference held at the National Agency of Education. The message was that the results were very serious, overwhelming, and signaled a school system in crisis. During the press conference, Director-General Anna Ekström also emphasized her confidence in PISA: 'Here at the National Agency for Education, we trust PISA' (Ekström, 3 December 2013). Through this broadcast, and massive media reporting, the crisis of the Swedish school system became publicly indisputable. Although we share the view that many things probably would be in place to strengthen Swedish schools, we find this type of unreserved faith in PISA as evidence of educational failure or success, to be problematic. In this article, we make an attempt to unpack what we would term the taken-for-granted notion of low performance. Using the theoretical lens of Michel Foucault (1971), and particularly Bruno Latour's (1999) STS studies, our main thesis is that low performance is not a given category, but a reality performed into being by students, test instruments, and measurement rationality.In the global structure of education, understanding what important knowledge 'is', and what could be its missing parts, has become a grand narrative of our time, with help from the idea of a globalized educational system (Novóa, 2013). Actors in the global education market (or rather, instigators at the Organisation for Economic Co- * Email: margareta.serder@mah.se 2 operation and Development [OECD], the European Commission, the World Bank, and UNESCO (Grek, 2009; Lawn & Grek, 2012;Morgan, 2009) for international assessments such as PISA are constructing the standards for what is a successful student or a successful nation.However, the role of PISA deviates from other assessments in that it constitutes the very in...

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Equivalence of Translations in International Reading Literacy Studies

Cited by 30 publications

References 35 publications

Investigating Linguistic Sources of Differential Item Functioning Using Expert Think-Aloud Protocols in Science Achievement Tests

Investigating Linguistic Sources of Differential Item Functioning Using Expert Think-Aloud Protocols in Science Achievement Tests

PISA as a Challenge for Science Education: Inherent Problems and Problematic Results from a Global Assessment Regime

PISA truth effects: the construction of low performance

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