The Civic Education Study
(International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement)

Student data from 29 different countries collected in a two-phased study using a common questionnaire and testing protocol regarding their factual knowledge and their attitudes towards issues within the following four domains: Democracy; National Identity; Social Cohesion and Diversity; Economics/Media and Environment.

European Countries included in Phase One: Australia, Belgium (French), Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Switzerland: in

Phase Two:  Belgium (French), Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.

http://www2.hu-berlin.de/empir_bf/iea_e1.html

Eurybase

Labour Force Surveys (Luxembourg Employment Study)

Programme For International Student Assessment (PISA)
Initiated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), PISA is a three-yearly survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in the principal industrialised countries.  It assesses how far students near the end of compulsory education have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in society. It presents evidence on student performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy, reveals factors that influence the development of these skills at home and at school, and examines what the implications are for policy development.  265,000 students from 32 countries took part. Students sat pencil and paper assessments in their schools.  Students and their principals also answered questionnaires about themselves and their schools

In 2000, 28 OECD Member countries and four other countries carried out the first PISA survey. A further 13 countries will conduct the same survey in 2002, and the two OECD countries that did not take part in 2000 will participate in the second survey in 2003.  A Third PISA survey will take place in 2006, with scientific literacy as major domain.

To enquire about access to the data, contact:
Andreas Schleicher
Deputy Head
DEELSA Statistics and Indicators Division
2 rue André-Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16
France

Tel: (33-1) 4524 9366
Fax: (33-1) 4524 9098

Email: els.pisa@oecd.org

Description

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
The largest and most ambitious international study of student achievement ever conducted. In 1994–95, TIMMS was conducted at five grade levels in more than 40 countries (the third, fourth, seventh, and eighth grades, and the final year of secondary school).

Students were tested in mathematics and science and extensive information about the teaching and learning of mathematics and science was collected from students, teachers, and school principals. Altogether, TIMSS tested and gathered contextual data for more than half a million students and administered questionnaires to thousands of teachers and school principals.

1994-5: 45 countries participated
Argentina Hungary Norway Australia Iceland Philippines Austria Indonesia Portugal Belgium* Iran Romania Bulgaria Ireland Russian Federation Canada Israel Scotland Colombia Italy Singapore Cyprus Japan Slovak Republic Czech Republic Korea Slovenia Denmark Kuwait South Africa England Latvia Spain France Lithuania Sweden Germany Mexico Switzerland Greece Netherlands Thailand Hong Kong New Zealand United States

1999: 36 countries

2003: forthcoming

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) at the International Study Center at Boston College, USA was the initiating organisation.

For more information and data access, contact International Study Center at Boston College, USA at isc@bc.edu or see web site

Data are available on free access on application. Data can be downloaded from http://timss.bc.edu/timss1999i/database.html and harmonised zip files containing documentation and user guide available from same site.

UNESCO Education Database
The UNESCO Education Database covers a wide range of  areas, at four main educational levels: pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary, in accordance with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) system. This system provides standard definitions for each of the four levels of education examined. UNESCO collects and collates education data according to these definitions from approximately 200 countries, and compiles them into the Education Database time series, which is published annually.Comparability is imposed after collection. The Educational Database is available from the UK Data Archive.

Youth and History 1995

Additional Sources of Education Data
The following sites were also located:

EuroInternet site provides links to a number of databases with educational themes.

UK Department for Education and Science web site for access to statistics on various aspects of education and training including labour market, employment, skills (not comparative).

UK Department for Education and Science web site for access to statistics on education. Covers broad areas including labour market, employment, skills (not comparative).  Some data are broken down by region and lower geospatial units.

Eurostat website offers EU data on both education and vocational training.

OECD portal on statistics and training.  This site includes the education on-line database of internationally comparable data.