Leading, teaching and learning
The OECD Global I Competence Framework: a Critique
By Therese Andrews
n 2018 the OECD assessed the concept of Global Competence for the first time as part of the triennial PISA assessments. Released in October 2020, the results of the assessment demonstrate social reproduction, with more powerful social groups benefiting from a framework developed by a small group of Western educators. Despite the power that the OECD holds, and the influence of the PISA assessments on government globally, educators should be cautious in their enthusiasm to adopt and embed the framework in their own schools. The PISA assessments are administered on a threeyear cycle, with tests in three literacy domains (mathematics, reading and science) and, since The results of 2012, one cross-curricular the assessment competence per cycle. The cross-curricular competence is demonstrate subject to selection based upon social it providing information on how prepared students are for a) reproduction, with full participation in their society more powerful and b) lifelong learning as well as needing to be innovative. social groups Whenever a new crossbenefiting from curricular domain is selected for assessment by PISA, it is a framework subject to a development developed by a phase before it is piloted. Prior to 2018, cross-curricular small group competencies assessed by PISA include collaborative problem solving (2015) and creative problem solving (2012). The selection of global competence for the 2018 cycle was announced in 2016 and was justified with reference to continued digitalisation, global inequalities, migration and matters associated with developing communication technology. In contrast to the three literacy domains of the PISA assessments, the innovative cross-curricular domains lack a robust research base which simultaneously drives forward the way we think about assessing students whilst also introducing a new concept for assessment prior to universal consensus of the concept being achieved. As a result, the issues with the 2018 framework are plentiful. At the time of release, global competence as a concept lacked universal consensus, such that now the definition used by the OECD in the framework is what global competence is considered to be, rather than a starting point to inspire
22 | International School | Autumn 2021
