1st PISA Roundtable Discussion

Last July 18, 2024, the UP Personality and Individual Differences Research Laboratory (UPIRL) held a roundtable discussion regarding the recently released 2022 PISA Results on creative thinking led by Dr. Adrianne John Galang. The event took place in Room 209A, Lagmay Hall, and brought together a distinguished group of attendees, including UPIR laboratory members, Dr. Greg del Pilar, Prof. Christie Sio, Prof. Marie Rose Morales, Prof. Kathlyn Caragay, and Prof. Cielo Gozar; esteemed faculty members from the Philippine National University, Dr. Teresita Rungduin and Dr. Darwin Rungduin; as well as UPD Department of Psychology graduate students Nisha Ma. Nimfa Alicer, Clemuel Cruz, and Maria Gwyneth Meneses.

The roundtable discussion centered on the recently released PISA 2022 results on creative thinking, where the Philippines ranked fourth from the bottom. This concerning outcome prompted an in-depth conversation about the psychometric properties and appropriateness of the questions administered in the assessment. The group explored the value of International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSA) in general, considering their benefits and potential limitations.

Key points of discussion included the validity and reliability of the assessment tools used in PISA 2022, and how accurately they measure creative thinking across different cultural contexts. The participants also deliberated on the broader implications of these findings for the Philippine education system and the importance of fostering creativity and critical thinking skills among students.

As a proactive step following the discussion, the group expressed their intention to release a policy brief addressing the issues highlighted during the roundtable. This policy brief aims to provide recommendations for improving the assessment and development of creative thinking skills in the Philippines, ultimately contributing to better educational outcomes and more accurate reflections of students' capabilities in international assessments.

The event exemplified UPIRL's commitment to engaging in meaningful discourse on educational assessments and their impact, reinforcing the importance of collaborative efforts among educators, researchers, and policymakers in addressing the challenges faced by the Philippine education system.