Standards in Education: Reforms, Stagnation and the Need to Rethink

Bolden, David; Tymms, Peter

doi:10.1080/03054985.2020.1781608

Standards in Education: Reforms, Stagnation and the Need to Rethink

Bolden, David; Tymms, Peter

Authors

Dr David Bolden d.s.bolden@durham.ac.uk
Associate Professor

Professor Peter Tymms p.b.tymms@durham.ac.uk
Emeritus Professor

Abstract

Countries around the world are striving to improve their educational systems with a view to improving their economy and society. In this global competition, national and international test results are of considerable interest. In this paper, we show that national testing in England and the USA have shown little or no improvement over the years. This finding is not isolated; it appears to be a global phenomenon. Data from large-scale international assessments such as PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS are remarkably stable over time. This paper reviews the trends from country-specific and international data and explores some of the reasons which have been offered for such stability. We argue that these explanations are insufficient and ways forward are discussed.

Citation

Bolden, D., & Tymms, P. (2020). Standards in Education: Reforms, Stagnation and the Need to Rethink. Oxford Review of Education, 46(6), 717-733. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2020.1781608

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	May 28, 2020
Online Publication Date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication Date	Nov 1, 2020
Deposit Date	May 29, 2020
Publicly Available Date	Jan 15, 2022
Journal	Oxford Review of Education
Print ISSN	0305-4985
Electronic ISSN	1465-3915
Publisher	Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	46
Issue	6
Pages	717-733
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2020.1781608

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Copyright Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Oxford review of education on 15 July 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03054985.2020.1781608