Resources Invested in Education and PISA 2015 Results: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this comparative study is to examine the Programme for International Student Assessment PISA 2015 results of the ten best performing countries and Turkey in the context of resources invested in education. For that purpose, to make some comparisons, PISA results of best performing countries, Turkey and OECD average were examined. In this literature review study. document analysis
technique was used to analyze the data. Results show that per capita Gross Domestic Production (GDP) and total educational expenditure ratios of 6-15 age group are important indicators. While material resources in most countries are enough for training activities, this is not the case for Turkey especially in low Socio Economic Status (SES) profile schools. There is no significant difference with teacher-student ratio between best performers, OECD average and Turkey. Another point is that teachers who work in low SES
profile schools in Turkey rarely participates professional development activities. Total teaching time for 6- 15 age groups is very high in Turkey compared with best performing countries, so this finding brings forward quality issues in teaching time. In addition, attendance rate at pre-primary school is really low in Turkey. To sum up, it is suggested to review educational policies in the social justice context to grow individuals who have effective thinking abilities, better communication and problem solving skills.