International Large-Scale Assessements in Education: Lights and Shadows

International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) in education have a long history, but their frequency, heterogeneity and order of magnitude have changed over the years. No matter what education systems may look like in the future, these tools are here to stay and will likely be applied in new countries. Two factors have favoured the expansion of ILSAs: the growing emphasis on educational accountability and the importance of evidence-based research. This growth has led to increased visibility and debates over interpretations and the implications of the results. Although there is widespread recognition that these surveys can provide invaluable information, researchers have little consensus about what types of comparisons are the most meaningful and what could be done to assure more sound interpretation. This paper aims to explore and analyse the arguments about the uses and consequences of ILSAs, highlighting, in particular, their rationales, strengths, limitations, and complexities.