Science performance among 15–year–olds

This chapter defines the notion of science literacy and how it is measured in PISA 2015. It also shows how close countries are to equipping all their students with a baseline level of proficiency in science. This would mean that, when students leave compulsory education, they are at least able to provide possible explanations for scientific phenomena in familiar contexts and to draw appropriate conclusions from data derived from simple investigations. The chapter also discusses the extent to which young adults have acquired a scientific mindset - that is, positive dispositions towards scientific methods of enquiry and towards discussion of science-related topics.