Dinaric Perspectives on Pirls 2021: Prerequisites and Conditions for Teaching and Learning to Read

This open access book presents insights into the current state of reading literacy in the Dinaric region, namely the education systems in Albania, Croatia, Kosovo[1], Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. A collection of analyses reveals factors influencing this key capacity of young pupils. Using data from IEA’s Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2021, the book explores teaching and learning reading literacy at the end of primary school (Grade 4) through multiple lenses, such as national reading curricula and textbooks, home and school resources for learning, student wellbeing, teacher education, instructions, and digital assessments. Since the administration of PIRLS 2021 coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, the book also provides valuable insights into remote teaching and learning and other disruptions caused by the pandemic.

This volume builds on the regional research presented in IEA Research for EducationVolume 13, Dinaric Perspectives on TIMSS 2019, which explored the teaching and learning of mathematics and science in primary schools across the Dinaric region. Aimed at policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, Dinaric Perspectives on PIRLS 2021 offers multidimensional perspectives on student achievement in reading literacy in a region that is underrepresented in the English-speaking research literature on educational assessments and student performance.

[1] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Zaneta Dzumhur is the assistant director for curriculum development at the Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Before being named as the head of the sector in the Institute, Zaneta built up her experience as a mathematics teacher and a head of the Sector for Student Achievement Standards in the Agency for Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education. She dealt with external evaluations and implemented IEA studies and OECD PISA in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a focus on curriculum development and their implementation during instructions.

Dr Paulína Korsňáková facilitates research networking, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration that enhance capacity building and knowledge sharing to foster innovation and quality in education. She has more than 20 years of experience in developing and implementing large-scale comparative studies at national, regional, and international levels. She serves as a series editor for the IEA Research for Educators and IEA Teacher Snippets.

Dr Sabine Meinck is the co-head of IEA’s Research and Analysis Unit (RandA) and head of its Sampling Unit. She guides, supports, and coordinates IEA research activities, and fosters knowledge dissemination around statistical data analysis based on large-scale assessments. Since 2006, she has been involved with various aspects of the survey design of nearly all contemporary large-scale assessments in education.