Education

What does teaching look like? What practices are most impactful? By directly observing teaching in the classroom, this study trialled new research methods to shed light on these key questions for raising student outcomes around the world. This report provides a detailed account of classroom management, social and emotional support, and instructional practices in the classrooms of eight countries and economies, drawing upon the observation of lesson videos and instructional materials, the analysis of teacher and student questionnaires, and the measurement of students’ cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes.

Digitalisation is transforming the world of work and societies, and creating opportunities to learn and develop skills in new ways, times and places. The adoption and use of digital technologies can help Latin American countries close the skills gap with more advanced economies. Making the Most of Technology for Learning and Training in Latin America demonstrates how Latin American countries can realise the potential of new technologies for skills development in schools and all stages of life. It identifies barriers to accessing ICT infrastructure and connectivity limitations in Latin America, and provides recommendations on how they can be overcome to ensure that all students and citizens can benefit from new technologies for learning. The report explores the relationship between technology use in initial education and students’ performance in Latin America, and how policies can best support teachers as digital tools enter their classrooms. Digitalisation provides new opportunities for lifelong learning and this report examines the potential of open education and MOOCs in reaching those adults who are most in need of training in Latin American countries.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, as across the globe, globalisation and rapid technological change, together with demographic developments are reshaping skill demands and supply in all countries. These trends are expected to continue in the coming years at an increasing pace. Technological progress, in particular, is profoundly transforming the world of work and, in turn, the skills demanded by employers. This poses challenges but it also creates opportunities for Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in the near future. Effective Adult Learning Policies: Challenges and Solutions for Latin American Countries discusses how individuals and firms in Latin American countries can harness the benefits of those changes. The report explores the challenges for LAC adult learning systems in supplying labour market relevant skills, what are the barriers to an inclusive participation in adult learning and what solutions governments, firms and individuals should collectively put in place to ensure that adult learning is truly effective.

This edition of the Reader’s Companion accompanies Skills Matter: Additional Results from the Survey of Adult Skills that reports the results from the 39 countries and regions that participated in the 3 rounds of data collection in the first cycle of PIAAC, with a particular focus on the 6 countries that participated in the third round of the study (Ecuador, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru and the United States). It describes the design and methodology of the survey and its relationship to other international assessments of young students and adults. The Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), was designed to provide insights into the availability of some key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. The first survey of its kind, it directly measures proficiency in several information-processing skills – namely literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments.

In the wake of the technological revolution that began in the last decades of the 20th century, labour-market demand for information-processing and other high-level cognitive and interpersonal skills have been growing substantially. Based on the results from the 33 countries and regions that participated in the 1st and 2nd round of the Survey of Adult Skills in 2011-12 and in 2014-15, this report describes adults’ proficiency in three information-processing skills, and examines how proficiency is related to labour-market and social outcomes. It also places special emphasis on the results from the 3rd and final round of the first cycle of PIAAC in 2017-18, which included 6 countries (Ecuador, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru and the United States). The Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), was designed to provide insights into the availability of some of these key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. The first survey of its kind, it directly measures proficiency in three information-processing skills: literacy, numeracy and problem-solving in technology-rich environments.

This study analyses the relationship between skills and labour market outcomes in Chile with a specific focus on disadvantaged groups: youth, women and the low-skilled. It examines the proficiency of the Chilean population in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in a technological-rich environment and disentangles the relationship between proficiency and labour market outcomes in Chile. The study also devotes significant attention to the demand for skills, by describing the use of skills at work in Chile and identifying its key determinants, as well as assessing the extent of skills mismatch and its implications for individuals. Throughout the study, differences between sociodemographic groups are highlighted to investigate the roots of labour market disadvantage.

This country review report for Chile provides, from an international perspective, an independent analysis of major issues facing the use of school resources in Chile, current policy initiatives, and possible future approaches. The report serves three purposes: i) to provide insights and advice to Chilean education authorities; ii) to help other countries understand the Chilean approach to the use of school resources; and iii) to provide input for the comparative analysis of the OECD School Resources Review. The analysis in the report focusses on the following areas: i) the funding of school education (including planning, distribution, incentives and monitoring); ii) equity resourcing policies targeted at specific groups of students; iii) school organisation and the operation of schools; and iv) the teaching profession.

Chile’s education system can foster stronger economic, democratic and social development in the country. There are significant macroeconomic benefits to education, such as increased productivity. That said, individuals tend to benefit the most from high-quality, equitable education systems. In 2004, the OECD performed a review of national education policies and an analysis of the Chilean education system. This review aims to identify key changes in the Chilean education system mainly from 2004-16, in order to analyse where education in Chile stands today and offer recommendations to help provide better education opportunities for all Chileans in the coming years. The review therefore examines different areas of education policy in Chile, from early childhood education and care (ECEC) to higher education.