Students with Low-Level Problem-Solving Skills

 
 

Student Low-Level Problem-Solving Skills

The percentage of 15-year-old students scoring at the lowest proficiency level (level 1 or below) on the problem-solving section of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test.
 

Please note:
The data on this page are current as of January 2010.

Key Messages

  • Canada gets an "A" and ranks 4th out of 16 peer countries.
  • PISA incorporated problem-solving testing only in its 2003 test cycle, so it is not possible to determine whether Canadian students’ skills have improved over time.
  • Problem solving is a more advanced skill that may be indicative of preparation for advanced degrees and ultimately a country’s innovative capacity.

Putting student problem-solving skills in context

Problem solving differs from mathematics, reading, and science in that it is not a traditional school subject. Problem-solving tests assess the degree to which students can solve problems in contexts that are not confined to one discipline (such as reading, math, or science) and draw on students’ knowledge from a variety of sources. Problem solving is a more advanced skill that may be indicative of preparation for advanced degrees and ultimately a country’s innovative capacity.

Students with low-level problem-solving skills are generally not capable of drawing data from multiple sources, comparing and contrasting these data, and integrating the data into the development of a solution to a multi-faceted problem.1 These are the very skills that are increasingly necessary. New employee qualifications are focusing on communication skills, on the ability to deal with complexity, and on increased problem-solving capabilities.2

PISA is an international assessment of the skills and knowledge of 15 year olds, coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It assesses whether students approaching the end of compulsory education have acquired the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in society. In 2003, PISA tested for problem-solving skills.

How does the proportion of Canadian students with low-level problem-solving skills compare to those of Canada's peers?

Canada ranks in 4th place and scores an "A" grade, behind Finland, Japan, and Australia. Thirty-five per cent of Canadian students had low-level problem-solving capabilities on the 2003 PISA skills test. Although the number of Canadian students designated with low-level problem-solving skills seems large, Canada still manages to do better than most of its peers in the Conference Board comparison. The 16-country average was 42 per cent.

Footnotes

1 OECD. Problem Solving for Tomorrow’s World: First Measures of Cross-Curricular Competencies from PISA 2003 (Paris: OECD, 2004), p. 47.

2 OECD. Problem Solving for Tomorrow’s World: First Measures of Cross-Curricular Competencies from PISA 2003 (Paris: OECD, 2004), p. 47.

Education and Skills Indicators

See discussions on other indicators
High-school graduation rate Students with high-level math skills
College completion Students with low-level science skills
University completion Students with high-level science skills
Ph.D. graduates Students with low-level problem-solving skills
Science, math, computer science, and engineering graduates Students with high-level problem-solving skills
Students with low-level reading skills Adult literacy rate—high-level skills
Students with high-level reading skills Adult literacy rate—low-level skills
Students with low-level math skills