Reports

This scoping review examines the effectiveness of online and blended learning in fostering higher-order thinking skills in higher education, focussing on creativity and critical thinking. The paper finds that whilst there is a growing body of research in this area, its scope and generalisability remain limited. Current evidence suggests that, for most students and contexts, in-person learning yields better or equivalent outcomes for higher-order thinking skills than fully online learning. However, blended and flipped learning show promise. In some cases, they may be more effective than in-person learning to develop higher-order skills. The review aims to be of use to higher education practitioners by synthesising, for the first time at such a scale, the diverse literature on what supports students to develop these skills online. This has been linked to active and interactive online learning, well-structured project-based learning, disciplined questioning, students labelling relevant dimensions of their thinking, and regular, quality instructor and peer feedback. The review calls for improved research design to understand the effectiveness of different modes of learning and address gaps in the literature, which include fostering creativity online and ensuring equitable online skills development across disciplines and teaching contexts. Policy implications include the need to integrate attention to higher-order thinking skills into professional learning, innovation funds, national networks and quality assurance to support effective online teaching of these skills across higher education systems.

À l’heure où nombre de pays s’efforcent de renforcer l’attrait de la profession enseignante, il apparaît donc essentiel de mieux comprendre les sources de stress dans ce métier. C’est dans cette optique que ce numéro se propose d’étudier les données de l’édition 2018 de l’enquête TALIS sur les enseignants du premier cycle du secondaire afin de déterminer si les sources de stress des enseignants varient en fonction du milieu socio-économique de leurs élèves. Il examine en outre les facteurs de stress les plus susceptibles d’être associés au niveau de satisfaction professionnelle des enseignants et à leur intention de rester dans la profession.

Private schools cater for around 1 in 5 students from pre-primary to the end of secondary education, a share that has not changed materially since 2015. They enjoy greater autonomy, suffer fewer shortages of all kinds and handled the COVID-19 pandemic better than public schools. Although their students achieved better results in PISA 2022 in many countries, this is mainly because they enrol more students from advantaged socio-economic backgrounds than their public counterparts. The main challenge in many countries today is to increase the social mix in public and private schools, which is why many efforts have been made in this direction over the past decade.

Research evidence in education serves as a compass, directing stakeholders towards informed choices that drive educational progress, enhance teaching methodologies, address inequities and support resource optimisation. Overcoming the challenges of harnessing research evidence in education by policy makers and practitioners involves fostering a culture of research engagement. This Education Spotlight draws on an international Policy Survey conducted with Ministries of Education from 37 education systems, and other evidence from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation publication Who Really Cares About Using Education Research in Policy and Practice? Developing a Culture of Research Engagement (OECD, 2023[1]) and beyond to explore the following questions: • Which systemic conditions, such as resources, infrastructures, and leadership, matter for the development (or transformation) of an organisational and system-level culture of research engagement? How do these conditions relate to one another? • How can these conditions be developed to best support education research engagement from the system level? This Spotlight reflects on the elements at the system level that are crucial for establishing such a culture for policy makers and practitioners. It does so with the understanding that complex systems require thinking strategically and employing systems approaches to knowledge mobilisation, alongside the more commonly used linear models of disseminating evidence or relational ones focusing on partnerships and networks.

Parental emotional support, alongside material and temporal support, is an important determinant of children's subjective well-being and academic success. However, not all children benefit from the same level of parental support, and there are major differences depending on families' socio-economic status and child gender. Using the PISA 2018 surveys, this paper examines differences in parental support reported by 15-year-olds both within countries according to social status and between girls and boys, and between countries. We show that differences in parental emotional support by parents' education level and child gender are substantial. Some of these differences are (largely) explained by other characteristics such as family wealth, country of origin, and school urbanicity and private/public status. Greater parental emotional support is also found to be associated with higher PISA test scores and greater subjective wellbeing, with little variation by parental education. On the whole, our findings suggest that a significant enhancement in parental support and related child outcomes, especially in countries with lower average levels of parental emotional support, can be attained through a combined effort on several fronts: by addressing monetary and material poverty within families, by facilitating parents in balancing work and taking care of their children, by promoting greater parental involvement in their children's school life, and by offering appropriate services to assist families with special needs and facing greater challenges.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) staff are central to promoting young children’s development, learning and well-being. Novice staff, defined as staff with up to three years of experience, account for 27% of staff in TALIS Starting Strong 2018. Novice staff are generally less educated than experienced staff in terms of the level of educational attainment and education or training with a focus specifically on working with children. More novice staff than experienced staff report a strong need for additional professional development in several areas, including 'classroom/playgroup/group management' and 'working with parents or families'. Policy approaches to support novice staff in ECEC can include ensuring that initial education prepares novice staff for their jobs by providing relevant knowledge specifically on working with children, supporting novice staff to engage in ongoing professional development, and clarifying how novice staff can progress professionally.

Artificial intelligence will have profound impacts across health systems, transforming health care, public health, and research. Responsible AI can accelerate efforts toward health systems being more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and person-centred. This paper provides an overview of the background and current state of artificial intelligence in health, perspectives on opportunities, risks, and barriers to success. The paper proposes several areas to be explored for policy makers to advance the future of responsible AI in health that is adaptable to change, respects individuals, champions equity, and achieves better health outcomes for all. The areas to be explored relate to trust, capacity building, evaluation, and collaboration. This recognises that the primary forces that are needed to unlock the value from artificial intelligence are people-based and not technical. The OECD is ready to support efforts for co-operative learning and collective action to advance the use of responsible AI in health.

Les compétences sont essentielles pour bâtir une économie et une société résilientes. En aidant les individus à acquérir un large éventail de compétences et en leur donnant les moyens de les mettre efficacement en pratique, les politiques relatives aux compétences jouent un rôle crucial face aux menaces émergentes, comme la dégradation de l’environnement ou les usages néfastes de technologies créées pour recueillir, produire et échanger des informations. La présente édition des Perspectives de l’OCDE sur les compétences montre combien il est important d’aider les individus à acquérir un large éventail de compétences, à des niveaux de maîtrise divers, afin de favoriser la résilience économique et sociale. Le rapport témoigne par ailleurs de l’importance des attitudes et des dispositions dans le développement et l’utilisation efficaces des compétences. Il souligne également la nécessité pour les responsables publics de suivre les coûts associés aux politiques visant à promouvoir la transition écologique et numérique, et met en évidence les effets de cette transition sur les inégalités. Des possibilités de formation qui répondent aux nouveaux besoins du marché du travail et des mesures propres à en faciliter l’accès peuvent favoriser une transition écologique et numérique juste et inclusive. De même, des systèmes éducatifs qui transmettent aux jeunes non seulement des compétences, mais aussi un état d’esprit propice à la gestion du changement, peuvent contribuer à inscrire la transition écologique et numérique dans une perspective de long terme.

This policy perspective examines Indonesia’s Merdeka Belajar ('Emancipated Learning') initiative, a comprehensive education reform agenda initiated in 2019. The primary objective of this reform is to enhance learning outcomes, make schooling a more joyful experience, and empower students and school communities. The new 'Emancipation Curriculum' emphasises foundational competencies and 21st-century skills and adopts holistic, formative assessment methods. It streamlines content and introduces innovative teaching methods, while increasing teachers' flexibility and autonomy in schools. It also instigates a new model of teacher professional learning. This document contextualises these initiatives within the international education landscape. It offers perspectives on what could help Indonesia ensure the success of these reforms, potentially reshaping the country’s educational future and contributing to its development and prosperity.

A fragmented school network resulting from demographic shifts and regional economic developments can place a significant financial burden on education systems across OECD Member and non-Member countries. This is the case in Latvia, which has made the reorganisation of its school network a policy priority. The Latvian Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) is working jointly with municipalities to ensure high-quality education for every child regardless of school location. On this basis, the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills and OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities provided technical assistance to Latvia through capacity building workshops and the co-construction of a geospatial simulation model to identify schools to be considered for closing or merging. This report presents the key findings of the geospatial modelling, confirming there indeed is considerable scope for consolidating the school network and offers concrete policy recommendations for MoES and education stakeholders to consider for advancing Latvia’s school network reorganisation initiative.