JAPAN - OECD.org - OECD

1 JAPAN Key findings Students in JAPAN remain higher performers in mathematics, reading, and science. They even improved significantly in reading between 2009 and 2012. Among OECD countries, JAPAN is now ranked second in mathematics performance and first in both reading and science performance. But, because results are based on a sample of students, its relative position could be between 2 and 3 in mathematics, between 1 and 2 in reading, and between 1 and 3 in science. While the Japanese school system ensures equity in education opportunities ( the relationship between students socio-economic status and performance is weaker than the OECD average), performance differences between advantaged and disadvantaged schools have widened since 2003. Students in JAPAN generally feel less confident about their ability to solve a set of pure and applied mathematics problems than the average student across OECD countries, but have shown improvement over time.

2 Japanese students reported less pleasure and interest in learning mathematics, less open to problem solving, and more anxiety in learning mathematics than the OECD average, but since 2003, their pleasure and interest in learning mathematics has increased. Classrooms in JAPAN were more conducive to learning than those in many other countries and economies in 2003, and became even more so by 2012. JAPAN allocates human and educational resources equitably between socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged schools; however, some differences in physical infrastructure and learning time are observed between advantaged and disadvantaged schools. Student performance in mathematics, reading and science JAPAN is one of the highest-performing OECD countries. Among 34 OECD countries, JAPAN is ranked second in mathematics performance and first in both reading and science performance. But, because results are based on a sample of students, its relative position could be between 2 and 3 in mathematics, between 1 and 2 in reading, and between 1 and 3 in science.

3 Among the 65 countries and economies that participated in the 2012 PISA assessment of 15-year-olds, JAPAN is ranked seventh in mathematics, and fourth in both reading and science, with its range of ranks between 6 JAPAN Country Note Results from PISA 2012 OECD 2 and 9 in mathematics, between 2 and 5 in reading and between 3 and 6 in science (see Figures , and in OECD, 2013a). Mean mathematics Students in JAPAN score 536 points in mathematics, on average above the OECD average (494 points) and comparable with Liechtenstein, Macao-China and Switzerland. Shanghai-China, Singapore, Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei and Korea score higher in mathematics than JAPAN . JAPAN s mean performance has not changed significantly since 2003, when it was 534 points (an annualised change of points). Since 2006, JAPAN improved its mathematics performance from 523 to 536 score points. Share of low- and top-performing students in mathematics The changes in a country s or economy s average performance can result from changes at different levels of the performance distribution, among low performers (below the baseline Level 2) or/and among top performers (Level 5 or 6).

4 Some 11% of students in JAPAN do not reach the PISA baseline Level 2 of mathematics proficiency. At best, these students can extract relevant information from a single source and can use basic algorithms, formulae, procedures or conventions to solve problems involving whole numbers. This proportion is below the OECD average (23%) and has not changed over time. Some 24% of students in JAPAN reach the highest levels of mathematics proficiency (Level 5 or 6). At these levels, students can develop and work with models for complex situations, and work strategically using broad, well-developed thinking and reasoning skills. This proportion is above the OECD average (13%) and has not changed over time. Over 55% of students in Shanghai-China reach these highest levels of mathematics proficiency, and between 30% and 40% of students in Hong Kong-China, Korea, Singapore and Chinese Taipei reach these highest levels. Gender differences in mathematics performance Boys in JAPAN outperform girls in mathematics by an average of 18 points, above the OECD average (11 points), even though in 2003, a significant gender difference was not observed.

5 Performance in specific process and content areas of mathematics Students in JAPAN show relative strength in formulating situations mathematically. In this area of mathematics, Japanese students score 18 points higher than JAPAN s overall mean score in mathematics. In two other areas, employing mathematical concepts, facts, procedures, and reasoning and interpreting, applying and evaluating mathematical outcomes, Japanese students perform lower than the country s overall mathematics score (by 6 and 5 points, respectively). Japanese students show relative strength in handling tasks related to space and shape and, to a lesser extent, change and relationships. In space and shape, Japanese students score 21 points higher than JAPAN s mean mathematics performance; and in change and relationships they score 6 points higher. By contrast, in the content categories quantity and uncertainty and data, Japanese students score below the country s mean mathematics score (by 18 and 8 score points, respectively).

6 JAPAN Country Note Results from PISA 2012 OECD 3 Opportunity to learn mathematics Strong mathematics performance in PISA is related to opportunities to learn formal mathematics, such as solving a quadratic equation, using complex numbers, or calculating the volume of a box, but also to opportunities to learn applied mathematics (using mathematics in a real-world context). In JAPAN , students are more frequently exposed to formal mathematics than the OECD average, while they are less exposed to applied mathematics than the OECD average. Similarly, students in the high-performing East Asian countries and economies of Hong Kong-China, Korea, Macao-China, Shanghai-China, Singapore and Chinese Taipei are more frequently exposed to formal mathematics than the OECD average, while of these countries/economies, only in Singapore are students exposed to applied mathematics more frequently than the OECD average. Reading Mean reading performance Students in JAPAN score 538 points in reading, on average above the OECD average (496 points) and comparable with Hong Kong-China, Korea and Singapore.

7 Shanghai-China scores higher than JAPAN in reading. JAPAN s mean reading performance improved since 2009, when the country s mean performance was 520 points. Share of low- and top-performing students in reading The changes in a country s or economy s average performance can result from changes at different levels of the performance distribution, among low performers (below the baseline Level 2) or/and among top performers (Level 5 or 6). Some 10% of students in JAPAN do not reach the PISA baseline Level 2 in reading proficiency. At this level, students can, at best, recognise the main theme or author s purpose in a text about a familiar topic and make a simple connection between information in the text and everyday knowledge. This proportion is below OECD average (18%) and has not changed over time. Some 18% of students in JAPAN reach the highest levels of reading proficiency (Level 5 or above). At these levels, students can handle texts that are unfamiliar in either form or content and can conduct fine-grained analyses of texts.

8 This proportion is above OECD average (9%) and grew by 9 percentage points since 2000 (see Table in OECD, 2013a) Gender differences in reading performance In JAPAN , girls outperform boys in reading by an average of 24 points, which is below the OECD average (38 points). On average across OECD countries, the gender gap in favour of girls increased since 2000 (from 32 to 38 points); JAPAN s gender gap in reading performance did not widen during that period. Science Mean science performance JAPAN Country Note Results from PISA 2012 OECD 4 Students in JAPAN score 547 points in science, on average above the OECD average (501 points) and comparable with Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong-China, Korea and Singapore. Shanghai-China had a higher score in science than JAPAN . JAPAN s mean performance in science improved at an annual rate of points since 2006, when it was 531 points. Share of low- and top-performing students in science The changes in a country s or economy s average performance can result from changes at different levels of the performance distribution, among low performers (below the baseline level 2) or/and among top performers (Level 5 or 6).

9 Some 8% of students in JAPAN do not reach the baseline proficiency Level 2 in science. At this level, students can, at best, present scientific explanations that are obvious and follow explicitly from given evidence. This proportion is below OECD average (18%) and decreased by 4 percentage points since 2006. Some 18% of students in JAPAN reach the highest levels of reading proficiency (Level 5 or 6). At these levels, students can identify, explain and apply scientific knowledge and knowledge about science in a variety of complex life situations. This proportion is above the OECD average (8%). While 15% of students in 2006 reached these highest levels, the change since then is not statistically significant. (see Table in OECD, 2013a) Gender differences in science performance In JAPAN , boys outperform girls in science by an average of 11 points, which is above the OECD average (1 point), while in 2006 a significant gender difference was not observed.

10 Giving every student the chance to succeed Equity in performance JAPAN does better than average in providing equitable learning opportunities to its students, regardless of their socio-economic status: of the variation in student performance in mathematics is attributed to differences in Japanese students socio-economic status (the OECD average is 15%). However, JAPAN is about average in the magnitude of performance differences between advantaged and disadvantaged students: advantaged students score 41 points higher in mathematics than disadvantaged students in JAPAN , while the OECD average difference between the two groups is 39 points. (see Figure in OECD, 2013b) While the strength of the relationship between students' socio-economic status and mathematics performance has not changed since 2003, the association, at the school level, between schools socio-economic profile and performance strengthened over the period, from a difference between advantaged and disadvantaged schools of 121 score points to 150 score points.