Will Indonesia rise or fall in PISA 2025? This question immediately\narises following the announcement of the PISA 2025 results. However, the\nanswer is not as simple as \u2018up\u2019 or \u2018down\u2019. It depends on what we use as\nour basis for reading the results: scores, rankings, or the actual\nabilities of students. We need to distinguish between two ways of\ninterpreting international assessment results. First, a relative\nreading, which compares Indonesia\u2019s position with other participating\ncountries. Second, a reading based on competency achievement, which\nlooks at what Indonesian students are actually capable of doing. Both\nare important, but they answer different questions.<\/p>\n
A relative reading produces rankings. The problem is that rankings\nare determined not only by changes in the abilities of Indonesian\nstudents but also by changes in the achievements of other countries.\nIndonesia\u2019s ranking can rise even if its abilities have not\nsignificantly increased, provided other countries experience a decline.\nConversely, Indonesia\u2019s ranking may fall even if its students\u2019 abilities\nremain stable or improve, if other countries improve more rapidly.\nTherefore, a rise in ranking does not automatically mean educational\nquality is improving, and a drop in ranking does not automatically mean\neducation is worsening.<\/p>\n
Official OECD results show that Indonesia\u2019s average achievement in\nmathematics, reading, and science in PISA 2025 is generally roughly the\nsame as in PISA 2022. This means that if there are changes in numerical\nscores, such changes do not necessarily represent statistically\nsignificant changes in ability. However, stopping at average scores and\nrankings may cause us to miss the more important issue: what Indonesian\nstudents are actually capable of doing.<\/p>\n
PISA does not only produce scores; it also categorises student\nachievement into various proficiency levels. We can see how many\nstudents have not reached minimum competency and how many are able to\ntackle complex problems that require high-level reasoning. In science,\nfor example, only 37% of Indonesian students reached at least level 2.\nIn reading, the figure is 27%, while in mathematics, it is only 17%. In\nother words, the majority of Indonesian students are still below the\nminimum competency levels used by PISA.<\/p>\n
THESE FIGURES<\/p>\n
These figures should disturb us more than a change of a few steps in\nthe rankings. The issue is not just that we do not yet have enough\nstudents capable of answering difficult questions; the competency\nfoundation for most students also needs to be strengthened.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, results at the highest competency levels are also\ncrucial. PISA shows that almost no Indonesian students reach levels 5 or\n6 in mathematics and science, and almost none reach level 5 or higher in\nreading. At these levels, students are required to face non-routine and\ncomplex situations.<\/p>\n
In mathematics, they must be able to model complex problems and\nchoose, compare, and evaluate solution strategies. In reading, they must\nbe able to understand long texts, handle abstract ideas, and distinguish\nbetween facts and opinions based on clues that are not always explicitly\nstated. In science, they are required to apply knowledge creatively and\nindependently in various situations, including previously unknown ones.\nThis is what we often simply link to Higher Order Thinking Skills\n(HOTS). However, HOTS should not be understood merely as the ability to\nanswer difficult questions. Students do not become high-level thinkers\nsimply because they are given harder questions.<\/p>\n
High-order thinking skills require a foundation. Students must first\nbe able to understand information, master basic concepts, and use\nknowledge in relatively simple situations. From that foundation, the\nability to analyse, evaluate, reason, and solve new problems develops.\nTherefore, low-level and high-level abilities are not two things that\nshould be pitted against each other; the former is the foundation for\nthe latter.<\/p>\n
CHALLENGES<\/p>\n
The challenge for Indonesian education, therefore, is twofold. We\nmust increase the number of students reaching basic competency, while\nsimultaneously increasing the number of those capable of moving towards\nhigh competency levels.<\/p>\n
So far, when PISA results are discussed, attention often focuses on\nwhether schools are providing enough HOTS-based questions. That question\nis important, but it does not touch the root of the problem. If the\nfoundation of student understanding is not strong, increasing the number\nof difficult questions does not automatically produce high-order\nthinking skills. Instead, learning needs to guide students gradually\nfrom understanding to applying, reasoning, evaluating, and\nproblem-solving. This is why PISA results should serve as a subject for\nreflection on classroom learning.<\/p>\n
PISA is not the goal of education. We must not build an education\nsystem solely to chase rankings or train students to answer PISA-style\nquestions. PISA is a mirror. A mirror does not need to be chased; a\nmirror is used to look at oneself.<\/p>\n
What we need to ask is not just whether Indonesia rises or falls\ncompared to other countries. The more important question is: are more\nIndonesian children reaching basic competency? Are fewer children being\nleft behind? And are more capable of thinking critically, assessing\ninformation, reasoning, and solving complex problems? If the answer to\nthese questions improves, Indonesian education is truly progressing.\nRankings may follow. However, rankings are not the ultimate goal.<\/p>\n
THE GOAL OF EDUCATION<\/p>\n
The goal of education is not merely to move Indonesia up a few steps\nin the rankings\u2026<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pisa-2025-is-indonesia-rising-or-falling-1789426276", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }