Use and Impact of PIRLS
The 2011 cycle marked the first time Ireland participated in PIRLS, and the first time since 1995 that the country participated in TIMSS. The 2011 results, therefore, were of interest as it was the first time in years that Irish primary schools had taken part in a large international study of achievement. Additionally, PIRLS and TIMSS 2011 were the first international studies of achievement in which Ireland participated since the 2009 cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which indicated a major decline in the country’s performance—especially in reading—relative to performance in previous PISA cycles.
The strong performance on PIRLS 2011 relative to that of other countries and to Ireland’s performance on TIMSS in mathematics and science was positively received by educationalists. The results were seen as reaffirming that Irish students can demonstrate high levels of reading achievement, despite the PISA 2009 results. Follow‑up analyses of the PIRLS contextual data generated public attention, particularly in relation to the relative balance of curriculum content areas, and to studentsʼ attitudes toward school and reading.29 All primary schools have received PIRLS summary information, selected released items, and an item by item description of how Irish students performed in comparison to the international average.
The impact of PIRLS 2011 is difficult to separate from that of the national literacy and numeracy strategy, the implementation of which closely coincided with the release of the PIRLS results. As part of this strategy, participation in PIRLS and TIMSS is now required. Since 2012, primary schools have begun to develop a stronger focus on student evaluation, school self‑evaluation, and the use of formal assessment data. This is in addition to a greater emphasis on the development of literacy skills, particularly in the first language of the school, and the allocation of more time to the teaching of reading and mathematics. In 2014, data from the National Assessments of English Reading and Mathematics revealed a major improvement in reading and mathematics achievement among primary school students, to the extent that the national strategy targets for 2020 have already been met. (Notably, the reading element of the National Assessments is strongly influenced by PIRLS, particularly the framework, style of test items, and range of questionnaires.30,31). Because the results of the National Assessments were widely covered, they may have contributed to a raised profile of studies of achievement. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, compared to 2011, teachers who took part in PIRLS 2016 were more likely to have some idea of what PIRLS entails and to be slightly more aware of general issues related to assessment.