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| 2010 Tables and Figures | All Years of Tables and Figures | Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest |
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| Table 411. | Mean scores and percentage distribution of 15-year-old students scoring at each science literacy proficiency level, by country: 2009 |
| Country or other jurisdiction | Mean score | Percentage distribution at levels of proficiency1 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Below Level 1 |
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||
| OECD total2 | 496 | (1.2) | 5.4 | (0.19) | 14.6 | (0.32) | 24.8 | (0.28) | 27.1 | (0.25) | 19.6 | (0.32) | 7.3 | (0.25) | 1.1 | (0.10) |
| OECD average3 | 501 | (0.5) | 5.0 | (0.10) | 13.0 | (0.14) | 24.4 | (0.16) | 28.6 | (0.17) | 20.6 | (0.16) | 7.4 | (0.10) | 1.1 | (0.04) |
| Australia | 527 | (2.5) | 3.4 | (0.27) | 9.2 | (0.48) | 20.0 | (0.59) | 28.4 | (0.65) | 24.5 | (0.66) | 11.5 | (0.58) | 3.1 | (0.50) |
| Austria | 494 | (3.2) | 6.7 | (0.83) | 14.3 | (0.99) | 23.8 | (1.00) | 26.6 | (1.04) | 20.6 | (1.03) | 7.1 | (0.61) | 1.0 | (0.19) |
| Belgium | 507 | (2.5) | 6.4 | (0.57) | 11.7 | (0.61) | 20.7 | (0.65) | 27.2 | (0.76) | 24.0 | (0.82) | 9.0 | (0.59) | 1.1 | (0.19) |
| Canada | 529 | (1.6) | 2.0 | (0.21) | 7.5 | (0.37) | 20.9 | (0.49) | 31.2 | (0.62) | 26.2 | (0.65) | 10.5 | (0.45) | 1.6 | (0.15) |
| Chile | 447 | (2.9) | 8.4 | (0.83) | 23.9 | (1.07) | 35.2 | (0.94) | 23.6 | (1.07) | 7.9 | (0.69) | 1.1 | (0.22) | # | (†) |
| Czech Republic | 500 | (3.0) | 4.7 | (0.57) | 12.6 | (0.90) | 25.6 | (0.97) | 28.8 | (1.25) | 19.9 | (0.87) | 7.2 | (0.58) | 1.2 | (0.22) |
| Denmark | 499 | (2.5) | 4.1 | (0.42) | 12.5 | (0.65) | 26.0 | (0.77) | 30.6 | (1.07) | 20.1 | (0.85) | 5.9 | (0.55) | 0.9 | (0.23) |
| Estonia | 528 | (2.7) | 1.3 | (0.31) | 7.0 | (0.72) | 21.3 | (1.07) | 34.3 | (1.10) | 25.7 | (1.07) | 9.0 | (0.63) | 1.4 | (0.26) |
| Finland | 554 | (2.3) | 1.1 | (0.19) | 4.9 | (0.41) | 15.3 | (0.73) | 28.8 | (0.95) | 31.2 | (1.08) | 15.4 | (0.74) | 3.3 | (0.34) |
| France | 498 | (3.6) | 7.1 | (0.82) | 12.2 | (0.83) | 22.1 | (1.25) | 28.8 | (1.32) | 21.7 | (1.02) | 7.3 | (0.70) | 0.8 | (0.22) |
| Germany | 520 | (2.8) | 4.1 | (0.51) | 10.7 | (0.81) | 20.1 | (0.86) | 27.3 | (1.08) | 25.0 | (1.18) | 10.9 | (0.68) | 1.9 | (0.29) |
| Greece | 470 | (4.0) | 7.2 | (1.07) | 18.1 | (1.04) | 29.8 | (0.96) | 27.9 | (1.20) | 14.0 | (0.95) | 2.8 | (0.31) | 0.3 | (0.11) |
| Hungary | 503 | (3.1) | 3.8 | (0.93) | 10.4 | (0.86) | 25.5 | (1.13) | 33.2 | (1.32) | 21.8 | (1.19) | 5.1 | (0.55) | 0.3 | (0.13) |
| Iceland | 496 | (1.4) | 5.5 | (0.48) | 12.5 | (0.63) | 25.8 | (0.75) | 30.4 | (0.94) | 18.8 | (0.84) | 6.1 | (0.43) | 0.8 | (0.19) |
| Ireland | 508 | (3.3) | 4.4 | (0.69) | 10.7 | (1.01) | 23.3 | (1.17) | 29.9 | (0.99) | 22.9 | (0.95) | 7.5 | (0.68) | 1.2 | (0.23) |
| Israel | 455 | (3.1) | 13.9 | (1.06) | 19.2 | (0.72) | 26.0 | (1.04) | 24.1 | (0.76) | 12.8 | (0.72) | 3.5 | (0.36) | 0.5 | (0.13) |
| Italy | 489 | (1.8) | 6.1 | (0.39) | 14.5 | (0.50) | 25.5 | (0.63) | 29.5 | (0.54) | 18.6 | (0.53) | 5.3 | (0.29) | 0.5 | (0.07) |
| Japan | 539 | (3.4) | 3.2 | (0.52) | 7.5 | (0.68) | 16.3 | (0.87) | 26.6 | (0.83) | 29.5 | (0.98) | 14.4 | (0.73) | 2.6 | (0.39) |
| Korea, Republic of | 538 | (3.4) | 1.1 | (0.32) | 5.2 | (0.68) | 18.5 | (1.15) | 33.1 | (1.13) | 30.4 | (1.14) | 10.5 | (0.90) | 1.1 | (0.31) |
| Luxembourg | 484 | (1.2) | 8.4 | (0.52) | 15.3 | (0.88) | 24.3 | (0.69) | 27.1 | (0.87) | 18.2 | (0.91) | 6.0 | (0.49) | 0.7 | (0.12) |
| Mexico | 416 | (1.8) | 14.5 | (0.60) | 32.8 | (0.64) | 33.6 | (0.60) | 15.8 | (0.61) | 3.1 | (0.27) | 0.2 | (0.05) | # | (†) |
| Netherlands | 522 | (5.4) | 2.6 | (0.53) | 10.6 | (1.33) | 21.8 | (1.53) | 26.9 | (1.07) | 25.3 | (1.69) | 11.2 | (1.10) | 1.5 | (0.30) |
| New Zealand | 532 | (2.6) | 4.0 | (0.53) | 9.4 | (0.52) | 18.1 | (1.01) | 25.8 | (0.88) | 25.1 | (0.74) | 14.0 | (0.72) | 3.6 | (0.36) |
| Norway | 500 | (2.6) | 3.8 | (0.48) | 11.9 | (0.92) | 26.6 | (0.95) | 31.1 | (0.71) | 20.1 | (0.82) | 5.9 | (0.65) | 0.5 | (0.16) |
| Poland | 508 | (2.4) | 2.3 | (0.33) | 10.9 | (0.69) | 26.1 | (0.80) | 32.1 | (0.81) | 21.2 | (0.97) | 6.8 | (0.49) | 0.8 | (0.19) |
| Portugal | 493 | (2.9) | 3.0 | (0.35) | 13.5 | (0.92) | 28.9 | (1.08) | 32.3 | (1.08) | 18.1 | (1.00) | 3.9 | (0.51) | 0.3 | (0.13) |
| Slovak Republic | 490 | (3.0) | 5.0 | (0.58) | 14.2 | (0.89) | 27.6 | (1.03) | 29.2 | (0.95) | 17.7 | (0.85) | 5.6 | (0.53) | 0.7 | (0.20) |
| Slovenia | 512 | (1.1) | 3.1 | (0.22) | 11.7 | (0.45) | 23.7 | (0.66) | 28.7 | (1.05) | 23.0 | (0.72) | 8.7 | (0.61) | 1.2 | (0.27) |
| Spain | 488 | (2.1) | 4.6 | (0.37) | 13.6 | (0.75) | 27.9 | (0.67) | 32.3 | (0.69) | 17.6 | (0.57) | 3.7 | (0.26) | 0.2 | (0.05) |
| Sweden | 495 | (2.7) | 5.8 | (0.51) | 13.4 | (0.75) | 25.6 | (0.80) | 28.4 | (0.84) | 18.7 | (0.86) | 7.1 | (0.56) | 1.0 | (0.22) |
| Switzerland | 517 | (2.8) | 3.5 | (0.31) | 10.6 | (0.58) | 21.3 | (1.09) | 29.8 | (1.02) | 24.1 | (1.03) | 9.2 | (0.73) | 1.5 | (0.23) |
| Turkey | 454 | (3.6) | 6.9 | (0.81) | 23.0 | (1.13) | 34.5 | (1.16) | 25.2 | (1.24) | 9.1 | (1.13) | 1.1 | (0.29) | # | (†) |
| United Kingdom | 514 | (2.5) | 3.8 | (0.34) | 11.2 | (0.68) | 22.7 | (0.73) | 28.8 | (0.97) | 22.2 | (0.83) | 9.5 | (0.61) | 1.9 | (0.25) |
| United States | 502 | (3.6) | 4.19 | (0.54) | 13.9 | (0.93) | 25.0 | (0.87) | 27.5 | (0.80) | 20.1 | (0.94) | 7.9 | (0.78) | 1.3 | (0.28) |
| Reporting partner countries | ||||||||||||||||
| Albania | 391 | (3.9) | 26.3 | (1.55) | 31.0 | (1.28) | 27.7 | (1.24) | 12.9 | (1.34) | 2.0 | (0.38) | 0.1 | (0.06) | ‡ | (†) |
| Argentina | 401 | (4.6) | 25.2 | (1.70) | 27.2 | (1.37) | 26.7 | (1.20) | 15.4 | (1.12) | 4.8 | (0.69) | 0.6 | (0.18) | # | (†) |
| Azerbaijan | 373 | (3.1) | 31.5 | (1.68) | 38.5 | (1.13) | 22.4 | (1.07) | 6.7 | (0.76) | 0.8 | (0.22) | # | (†) | ‡ | (†) |
| Brazil | 405 | (2.4) | 19.7 | (0.90) | 34.5 | (0.99) | 28.8 | (0.90) | 12.6 | (0.81) | 3.9 | (0.38) | 0.6 | (0.11) | # | (†) |
| Bulgaria | 439 | (5.9) | 16.5 | (1.63) | 22.3 | (1.55) | 26.6 | (1.31) | 21.0 | (1.36) | 10.9 | (1.01) | 2.4 | (0.48) | 0.2 | (0.12) |
| Colombia | 402 | (3.6) | 20.4 | (1.81) | 33.7 | (1.23) | 30.2 | (1.40) | 13.1 | (1.04) | 2.5 | (0.34) | 0.1 | (0.05) | # | (†) |
| Croatia | 486 | (2.8) | 3.6 | (0.47) | 14.9 | (0.99) | 30.0 | (1.07) | 31.1 | (1.03) | 16.7 | (0.98) | 3.5 | (0.57) | 0.2 | (0.10) |
| Dubai (UAE) | 466 | (1.2) | 11.0 | (0.47) | 19.5 | (0.57) | 26.0 | (0.78) | 22.9 | (0.73) | 14.9 | (0.59) | 4.8 | (0.35) | 0.8 | (0.21) |
| Hong Kong-China | 549 | (2.8) | 1.4 | (0.31) | 5.2 | (0.61) | 15.1 | (0.73) | 29.4 | (0.99) | 32.7 | (0.99) | 14.2 | (0.94) | 2.0 | (0.30) |
| Indonesia | 383 | (3.8) | 24.6 | (1.77) | 41.0 | (1.54) | 27.0 | (1.55) | 6.9 | (1.01) | 0.5 | (0.22) | # | (†) | ‡ | (†) |
| Jordan | 415 | (3.5) | 18.0 | (1.20) | 27.6 | (1.13) | 32.2 | (1.21) | 17.6 | (1.12) | 4.1 | (0.51) | 0.5 | (0.18) | # | (†) |
| Kazakhstan | 400 | (3.1) | 22.4 | (1.31) | 33.0 | (1.08) | 27.9 | (1.14) | 12.8 | (0.82) | 3.6 | (0.62) | 0.3 | (0.16) | # | (†) |
| Kyrgyzstan | 330 | (2.9) | 52.9 | (1.32) | 29.0 | (0.94) | 13.3 | (0.76) | 4.0 | (0.54) | 0.7 | (0.20) | # | (†) | ‡ | (†) |
| Latvia | 494 | (3.1) | 2.3 | (0.56) | 12.5 | (1.00) | 29.1 | (1.07) | 35.5 | (1.16) | 17.6 | (1.06) | 3.0 | (0.47) | 0.1 | (0.08) |
| Liechtenstein | 520 | (3.4) | 1.4 | (0.74) | 9.9 | (1.94) | 23.8 | (3.07) | 29.8 | (3.67) | 25.4 | (2.67) | 9.0 | (1.74) | 0.7 | (0.67) |
| Lithuania | 491 | (2.9) | 3.5 | (0.65) | 13.5 | (0.77) | 28.9 | (1.02) | 32.4 | (1.18) | 17.0 | (0.84) | 4.3 | (0.41) | 0.4 | (0.13) |
| Macao-China | 511 | (1.0) | 1.5 | (0.21) | 8.1 | (0.36) | 25.2 | (0.77) | 37.8 | (0.74) | 22.7 | (0.98) | 4.5 | (0.47) | 0.2 | (0.08) |
| Montenegro | 401 | (2.0) | 22.2 | (1.01) | 31.4 | (0.98) | 29.4 | (1.04) | 13.6 | (0.79) | 3.1 | (0.39) | 0.2 | (0.15) | ‡ | (†) |
| Panama | 376 | (5.7) | 32.8 | (2.74) | 32.4 | (1.96) | 23.2 | (1.93) | 9.3 | (1.19) | 2.2 | (0.46) | 0.2 | (0.12) | ‡ | (†) |
| Peru | 369 | (3.5) | 35.3 | (1.50) | 33.0 | (1.29) | 21.7 | (1.21) | 8.0 | (0.79) | 1.8 | (0.37) | 0.2 | (0.12) | # | (†) |
| Qatar | 379 | (0.9) | 36.4 | (0.58) | 28.8 | (0.54) | 18.8 | (0.56) | 9.8 | (0.30) | 4.8 | (0.23) | 1.3 | (0.14) | 0.1 | (0.05) |
| Romania | 428 | (3.4) | 11.9 | (1.13) | 29.5 | (1.57) | 34.1 | (1.73) | 19.7 | (1.18) | 4.4 | (0.59) | 0.4 | (0.12) | # | (†) |
| Russian Federation | 478 | (3.3) | 5.5 | (0.67) | 16.5 | (1.06) | 30.7 | (1.14) | 29.0 | (1.15) | 13.9 | (0.91) | 3.9 | (0.50) | 0.4 | (0.17) |
| Serbia | 443 | (2.4) | 10.1 | (0.82) | 24.3 | (0.96) | 33.9 | (1.17) | 23.6 | (0.75) | 7.1 | (0.57) | 1.0 | (0.18) | # | (†) |
| Shanghai-China | 575 | (2.3) | 0.4 | (0.11) | 2.8 | (0.36) | 10.5 | (0.66) | 26.0 | (0.99) | 36.1 | (1.12) | 20.4 | (0.96) | 3.9 | (0.45) |
| Singapore | 542 | (1.4) | 2.8 | (0.24) | 8.7 | (0.52) | 17.5 | (0.58) | 25.4 | (0.83) | 25.7 | (0.70) | 15.3 | (0.67) | 4.6 | (0.50) |
| Chinese Taipei | 520 | (2.6) | 2.2 | (0.34) | 8.9 | (0.60) | 21.1 | (0.91) | 33.3 | (1.04) | 25.8 | (1.10) | 8.0 | (0.74) | 0.8 | (0.22) |
| Thailand | 425 | (3.0) | 12.2 | (1.10) | 30.6 | (1.01) | 34.7 | (1.34) | 17.5 | (0.95) | 4.4 | (0.51) | 0.6 | (0.27) | # | (†) |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 410 | (1.2) | 25.1 | (0.87) | 24.9 | (0.92) | 25.2 | (0.88) | 16.0 | (0.79) | 7.1 | (0.40) | 1.8 | (0.23) | 0.1 | (0.07) |
| Tunisia | 401 | (2.7) | 21.3 | (1.17) | 32.4 | (1.08) | 30.9 | (1.00) | 13.0 | (0.85) | 2.2 | (0.43) | 0.2 | (0.12) | # | (†) |
| Uruguay | 427 | (2.6) | 17.0 | (0.94) | 25.6 | (0.86) | 29.3 | (1.01) | 19.5 | (1.02) | 7.1 | (0.51) | 1.4 | (0.22) | 0.1 | (0.04) |
| †Not applicable. | ||||||||||||||||
| #Rounds to zero. | ||||||||||||||||
| ‡Reporting standards not met. | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 Level 1: Able to present scientific explanations that are obvious and that follow explicitly from given evidence. Level 2: Able to provide possible explanations in familiar contexts, draw conclusions based on simple investigations, and make literal interpretations of the results of scientific inquiry or technological problem solving. Level 3: Able to select facts to explain phenomena and apply simple models or inquiry strategies, develop short statements using facts, and make decisions based on scientific knowledge. Level 4: Able to select and integrate explanations from different disciplines of science or technology, link those explanations directly to aspects of life situations, and communicate decisions using scientific knowledge and evidence. Level 5: Able to apply scientific concepts and knowledge to many complex life situations, select and evaluate appropriate scientific evidence, bring critical insights to situations, and construct explanations based on evidence and arguments based on critical analysis. Level 6: Able to consistently explain and apply scientific knowledge in a variety of complex life situations, use evidence from different sources to justify decisions, clearly and consistently demonstrate advanced scientific thinking and reasoning, and develop arguments in support of recommendations and decisions that center on personal, social, or global situations. | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 Illustrates how a country compares with the OECD area as a whole. Computed by taking the OECD countries as a single entity to which each country contributes in proportion to the number of 15-year-olds enrolled in its schools. | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 Refers to the mean of the data values for all OECD countries, to which each country contributes equally, regardless of the absolute size of the student population of each country. | ||||||||||||||||
| NOTE: PISA scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 2009, PISA 2009 Results: What Students Know and Can Do Student Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science (Volume I). (This table was prepared December 2010.) |
