la competencia científicascience literacy
La oleada de PISA estuvo dedicada a la competencia científica.
Business ·
PISA y la Gran Recesión: un análisis rastrea su impacto en familias y escuelas
PISA and the Great Recession: an analysis traces the impact on families and schools
C114 minArticle reviewed
Before you open the article
This preparation gives you the story context, essential vocabulary, useful expressions and reading questions. Study it first, then open the original news article, which is written in Spanish.
Start preparing with vocabulary ↓What this article is about
This opinion article argues that Spain’s disappointing PISA results should not be explained by technology alone. It emphasizes that the students tested grew up during the long aftermath of the Great Recession, when many families were under economic pressure and education systems experienced spending cuts.
Background you need
PISA scores are estimates with statistical uncertainty, and differences between years are not always statistically significant. The author therefore cautions against dramatic headlines and argues for examining several hypotheses together, including technology, education investment, teacher working conditions and family living standards.
Key vocabulary
Essential vocabulary
la competencia lectorareading literacy
La competencia lectora igualó algunos resultados bajos anteriores.
el margen de error estadísticostatistical margin of error
Algunas diferencias pueden explicarse por el margen de error estadístico.
la diferencia estadísticamente significativastatistically significant difference
No todas las variaciones son estadísticamente significativas.
los recortesbudget cuts
El sistema educativo sufrió distintos recortes.
la inversión educativaeducation investment
El autor pide considerar también la inversión educativa.
las condiciones de trabajoworking conditions
Las condiciones de trabajo del profesorado aparecen como una variable relevante.
la calidad de vidaquality of life
La calidad de vida de las familias puede influir en el aprendizaje.
la oleadawave / cycle
La oleada de PISA de este año se centró en ciencias.
la hipótesishypothesis
El autor reclama estudiar varias hipótesis con más detalle.
Quick practice
Vocabulary flashcards
Useful expressions
Expressions
sacar partido a— to make good use of
El debate pregunta si sabemos sacar partido a la tecnología.
atribuirlo todo a— to attribute everything to
El autor critica atribuirlo todo a un único factor.
más allá de— beyond
El análisis pide mirar más allá de la espuma de los titulares.
Language focus
Language focus
Analytical writing uses modal verbs to avoid presenting hypotheses as proven causes.
Podría ser que los cambios tecnológicos hayan sido más rápidos que nuestra capacidad de adaptación.
Formal analysis frequently uses “con respecto a” to compare results across years.
Los resultados empeoraron con respecto a 2015.
“Si bien” introduces a point the writer accepts before adding a qualification or counterargument.
Si bien los resultados son malos, algunos titulares son matizables.
Before you read
Questions to keep in mind
- Which PISA competencies does the article discuss?
- Why does the author say some dramatic headlines need qualification?
- What explanations besides technology does the article propose?
Continue with the original
Now read the news in Spanish
You have prepared the main context and language. The button opens the publisher’s original Spanish-language article in a new tab.
Open the original article in Spanish →After reading
Reflect on what you read
- How does statistical uncertainty affect interpretation of the scores?
- What connection does the author draw between the Great Recession and the students tested?
- Which hypothesis would you want researchers to test more carefully?
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