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The Hong Kong Centre for International Student Assessment of the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) released the survey results of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2015 (PISA 2015) today (6 December). The survey reveals that Hong Kong 15-year-old students again stand in the top tier of 72 participating countries and economies. 

During April to May 2015, about 5,000 students from 138 secondary schools were randomly selected for the computer-based assessment of student performance in science, reading (Chinese) and mathematics. Specifically, Hong Kong students rank ninth in science and second in both reading and mathematics (Figure 1 and Appendix 1). 

As well as this, equality in education in terms of how students’ socio-economic status (SES), gender, and immigrant status affect their academic performance is examined. It is found that students’ SES, including occupation and education level of their parents, has a relatively small impact on their performance (Figure 2 and Appendix 2). Yet significant gender difference is still evident in student performance. Girls outperform boys by 28 points in reading whereas no significant gender difference is found in science and mathematics (Figure 3). Also, the performance of immigrant students, no matter they were born in or outside Hong Kong, is significantly poorer than that of native students, with a difference up to 6 to 17 points (Figure 4). It indicates that immigrant students need more support in their learning. 

Various outcomes of students’ self-related cognition and engagement in science activities are also examined. Results show that the extrinsic (instrumental) motivation and enjoyment of science of Hong Kong students are higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, but their science self-efficacy is lower than the OECD average. Students’ extrinsic (instrumental) motivation in learning science has improved significantly from 2006 to 2015. Yet, their enjoyment of science and self-efficacy in science has declined significantly (Figure 5). Students’ self-related cognition in science and engagement in science activities are found to have positive correlations with their science performance (Figure 6). 

Regarding parental factors, parents’ previous provision of science activities, current social communication with and emotional support for children are found to be correlated with their children’s science performance. Parents’ provision of science activities for the child at about age 10 (e.g., watching TV programmes about science) has a positive impact on the learning outcomes. If a parent communicates more with the child (e.g., spending time talking to the child) and provides more emotional support for the child (e.g., supporting the child when he or she is facing difficulties at school), the child tends to perform better (Figure 7). 

The survey has also collected data concerning other educational processes such as teaching strategies and school climate. These will be further studied and reported. 

Initiated by OECD, PISA is a regular international study, with the aim of comparing and evaluating the effectiveness of education systems of the participating countries and economies by assessing how well 15-year-olds have acquired the knowledge and skills essential for participation in society. The assessment is conducted every three years.