Brazilians Students Fail to Finish Exam in World Evaluation

07/19/2018 - 10h42

The Brazilian students' poor performance in the main international evaluation of basic level education, Pisa, did not occur because they did not get the answers right. Most students showed a declining performance along the exam and failed to complete the exam.

The analysis is shown in a new study led by professor Naercio Menezes Filho, of Insper and USP, and helps interpret the evaluation.

"Part of the diagnosis is that the students do not understand what was asked from them, or had trouble understanding the stems; however, there are other factors behind these," says Filho. "There is also the question of the lack of stimulus, motivation in Brazilian students," he says.

	Raquel Cunha/Folhapress
	Frei Damião School in São Paulo

The Brazilian students' behavior also shows their lack of skills to take the exams, as well as their poor knowledge in the subjects and socio-emotional skills, such as resilience.

If Brazilian students knew how to manage their time during the exam better, their scores might have improved - however, not enough, the study shows, to help raise the country's position in the ranking.

The last Pisa occurred in 2015 and assessed teenagers between ages 15 and 16 from 70 countries and territories in the subjects of mathematics, reading and science. The general average leaves Brazil in the lowest positions. It ranks 63rd in mathematics, 58th in reading and 65th in science.

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