PISA Scores and a Rush to Judgement
Like many educators, I have been reviewing and reflecting on the latest PISA score data. The precipitous decline in student performance is obviously concerning.
However, just as concerning is the speed with which so many educators, reporters, and others are jumping to conclusions to explain why this is happening. And the hot take that is gathering momentum boils down to screens and technology. I have read countless posts, stories, threads, etc as to how use of tech by kids in schools is cratering their learning.
Researchers are very careful to delineate between correlation and causation; eg, correlation does not imply causation. The advent of 1:1 use in schools lining up to score decline is an interesting, even powerful, correlation. I can see how Occam's razor can be rather tempting. But. Without actual examination and more research, we we cannot imply causation. We can't just "blame tech" and move on. It's not that simple.
There are many, many moving parts and complex dynamics involved with student learning, especially in the complex landscape that is the 21st century. No one thing in education is either "all good" or "all bad" for learning, and that includes technology. There are multiple shades of gray, and those shades look different based on which students we are discussing. Not all kids are the same, and that means there is no such thing as a "one size fits all" approach to learning. This also means there is no singular cause for the problems that exist, either.
Do we need more data on how technology is integrated into learning? Yes. There's a big difference between meaningful tech integration that increases engagement vs using tech as a "student pacifier". We know that in some cases, schools aren't integrating tech well. At a minimum, we need to examine how, when and why technology is integrated into learning at schools.
Do we also need to examine other things that are going on educationally and societally that might be creating score decline? Also yes. There have been profound shifts in parenting, lifestyle, global economics, and in schools that are impacting learning. We also need to examine how kids are showing up to learn, what is going on around them, and how schools respond to that.
In short, we can't just "throw the technology baby out with the bathwater." While hot takes grab headlines and attention, they're built on shaky evidence at best. I have watched the education pendulum swing hard back and forth over the years to the beat of attention-grabbing headlines. And I have seen first-hand how the momentum behind that pendulum damages learning, progress, and ultimately, hurts the futures of children.
And so, before we point our fingers at an easy target, we owe it to our kids and ourselves to take a beat, take a breath, and engage in the work of dissecting the data and discussing what we're seeing BEFORE we write headlines that impact our children.
