Conceptual changes within the theoretical framework of PISA: the case of Mathematics

Abstract

We summarize an ongoing research in which the foundations and theoretical assumptions that form the framework of the PISA project in 2003 and 2012 in the area of mathematics are analyzed and compared. The research contrasts the different theoretical domains of both frameworks. This summary illustrates such analysis through a selection of the categories of the notions of mathematical literacy, context, mathematical content, and fundamental mathematical capabilities. We conclude the 2012 framework organizes the different domains of assessment in a comprehensive and coherent structure. It reveals greater conceptual and terminological accuracy, improvement for the conceptual analysis on the study theoretical basis, and more powerful categories for the resulting didactical analysis.