PISA Portugal na blogosfera: fatores influenciadores dos resultados

Abstract

The results of the Portuguese students’ performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have been the subject of numerous discussions in the blogosphere. Our interest in these discussions led to the development of this study, which aimed to know the factors influencing the results of Portugal in editions of PISA, from 2000 to 2012, according to posts and comments from blogs. The theoretical reference encompassed various aspects and evidence linked to PISA, as well as a brief contextualization of the curriculum in Portugal and the blogosphere. The study was carried out on the basis of the qualitative approach, the exploratory and descriptive type, having as data source ten blogs. The data consisted of thirty-five posts with their comments, for a total of one hundred and eighteen. They were analyzed through content analysis, with support from the qualitative analysis program WebQDA. The findings showed three factors influencing the performance of Portuguese students in the PISA: Education, Sampling and Retention/Repetition. Among the findings in the Education factor is noteworthy the discussions around the impact of public and private education and socio-economic conditions of the families/students on the results of PISA, and the ongoing political changes, with possible threats to the quality of teaching. The criteria of the definition of the student population and the consequent selection of the sample was considered ineffective, due to variations along the edits, which complicates the comparison of the results of the PISA. The Retention/Repetition was considered an inefficient pedagogical measure, with negative impact on the results of the PISA. The findings of this study were supported by the literature. With this study, we hope to contribute to extend the knowledge and create new spaces for future discussions and investigations in the area.