​New PISA Research about Student Collaboration

We talk a lot about collaboration between students and the lifelong skills and preparation this provides. Some interesting analysis collected through international PISA testing has been released. I am sure that some of the following will be a surprise – particularly the information about social media and video gaming! However, there are some important ideas here and will help us reflect on the breadth of activities that contribute to the development of skills in our teenagers.
The full report can be accessed at https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/what-kinds-of-activities-are-common-among-teenagers-who-work-well-with-others_7cb73373-en
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“Schools are not just four walls inside of which students learn how to read, write and think. Schools provide a venue where young people meet each other, and where they develop relationships and friendships that may last for decades. At school, students socialise and hone the interpersonal skills that are required to function effectively in the workplace and in society at large.
Employers value such skills more now than ever before: wages have risen more for jobs that demand a high level of social skills than for jobs that require only a low level of social skills. But until now, there was no measure of students’ ability to work together that was consistent across countries. PISA changed that when it introduced its collaborative problem-solving assessment in 2015, which, more specifically, measured students’ ability to work together to solve problems and achieve goals.”
What kinds of activities are common among teenagers who work well with others?
 • Students who engage in more moderate physical activity are better at collaborating with others to solve problems and have more positive attitudes towards their team members.
• Students who access the Internet, chat or social networks outside of school collaborate better than students who do not engage in these activities, while students who play video games outside of school collaborate worse than students who do not play video games.
• Students who work in the household or take care of other family members value teamwork more and have better attitudes towards their team members than other students, as do students who regularly meet friends or talk to friends on the phone.