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Comparative and International Education Research Made Easy Using Free Online Data Platforms and Tools
Sun, March 10, 9:30am to 12:30pm, Hyatt Regency Miami, Floor: Terrace Level, Orchid BGroup Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop
Description of Session
There are several free online data platforms and tools available to the public for conducting comparative and international education research. However, many people are either unaware of these resources or unsure about the most suitable ones to use for addressing specific research questions. These online data platforms and tools vary considerably in content, functionality, data visualization capabilities, and data availability. The primary objective of this workshop is to introduce participants to different international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) and provide an overview on how to use the free online platforms and tools effectively. The workshop will focus on two platforms/tools that have been developed with funding from the International Activities Branch of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education: the ILSA Gateway and the International Data Explorer.
The ILSA Gateway is a free platform that provides researchers a single entry point to major ILSAs in education conducted by the following organizations: CONFEMEN (PASEC), the IDB (PRIDI), the IEA (ICCS, ICILS, PIRLS, REDS, TEDS-M, and TIMSS), the OECD (IELS, PIAAC, PISA, TALIS, and TALIS Starting Strong), SACMEQ (SACMEQ Study), SEAMEO/UNICEF (SEA PLM), UNESCO (REDS, ERCE/TERCE), and the World Bank (STEP). For each study, users can navigate to a fact sheet that provides a quick overview; read more detailed information on the study’s framework, design, results, and data, etc.; and easily access related resources on the external study websites. The platform features a glossary, search tool, news section, and paper database that allows researchers to identify relevant articles published to date in peer-reviewed journals, including secondary analyses of the above-mentioned studies.
The International Data Explorer (IDE) allows users to explore student and adult performance on ILSAs and thousands of variables derived from survey questionnaires administered to the students or adults and to the students’ teachers and principals. Data are available for over 100 countries. With the IDE, users can select their own countries and variables for analysis, run a variety of statistical tests (e.g., cross-tabulations, significance testing of means and percentages, gap analysis, and regression analysis), and generate customizable tables, charts, and maps. The IDE includes data for all years from PIAAC, PIRLS, PISA, ICILS, TALIS, and TIMSS. Education systems that participated in these studies are primarily in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East. For a full list of the education systems included in the IDE, please visit the NCES International Activities Program web page. Throughout the workshop, the leaders will provide hands-on examples of how research questions in comparative and international education can be addressed using the IDE.
Workshop attendees will also receive a handout with links to other free online tools and resources that may be useful in conducting comparative and international education analyses.
It is recommended that participants bring their own laptops to follow along with the hands-on demonstrations and explore their own research questions. Some knowledge about quantitative research methods is helpful but not necessary.