What is the PISA Mathematics Framework?

PISA is a triennial assessment of education systems administered to a sample of 15-year-olds in the participating countries.

“The aim of PISA with regard to mathematical literacy is to develop indicators that show how effectively countries are preparing students to use mathematics in every aspect of their personal, civic and professional lives, as part of their constructive, engaged and reflective citizenship. To achieve this, PISA has developed a definition of mathematical literacy and an assessment framework that reflects the important components of this definition. The mathematics assessment items selected for inclusion in PISA 2015, based on this definition and framework, are intended to reflect a balance of relevant mathematical processes, mathematical content and contexts.

Mathematical literacy [...] describe[s] the capacities of individuals to reason mathematically and use mathematical concepts, procedures, facts and tools to describe, explain and predict phenomena.

It is important that the construct of mathematical literacy, which is used in this report to denote the capacity of individuals to formulate, employ and interpret mathematics in a variety of contexts, not be perceived as synonymous with minimal, or lowlevel, knowledge and skills. Rather, it is intended to describe the capacities of individuals to reason mathematically and use mathematical concepts, procedures, facts and tools to describe, explain and predict phenomena.”

(p.29–30, p.5 PISA 2015 Draft Mathematics Framework, 2013)

In 2015, 74 countries across the world took part in this international measure of learning, including the UK, the US and China.