LITERACY OF OUR YOUNGSTERS: RESULTS AND RESTRAINTS FROM PISA
Abstract: This article focused
on results of assessment of PISA on level of literacy of youngsters in a number
of countries including Indonesia. Key findings comprised reading literacy, mathematics
literacy, and science literacy of Indonesian youngsters and those of other countries
are described. Several factors assumed to have impacts on the results of assessment
covered impacts of gender, engagement on learning, family background, and
school characteristics. There are several constraints faced by Indonesia that
make the assessment result unsatisfying, namely, input and process of
education. Constraints of education input cover 1) insufficient availability of
educators and educational staff; 2) unavailable learning facilities or
inefficient use of the facilities; and 3) inadequate education costs.
Constraints of education process comprise 1) too much structured and heavily
loaded content, and 2) teacher oriented instructional method. The constraints of
education process cause instructional process ineffective. There are seven
solutions that need to be organized to cope with the constraints. They are 1)
the development of better curriculum, learning method, and assessment system,
2) the capacity of educators’ profession, 3) the improvement of facilities and
learning materials, 4) a life skill education, 5) the development of a superior
school on basic education, 6) the improvement of quality and relevance of
education, 7) the use of ICT for schooling and learning system.
Author: Bahrul Hayat
Journal Code: jppendidikangg100004
