Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mercury]

At the school where I work they posted the results of the OEDC
which shows Korea number 1 for problem solving. I saw the results on the news last week, in the papers, just about everywhere. My director was very happy about this and posted the news in our (foreign teachers) office.

As a few of us teacher talked about this, we wondered how the tests were administered. Here is what I found out..

More than 250,000 students in 41 countries took part in PISA 2003, the second three-yearly survey of its kind. The survey involves pencil and paper tests lasting two hours, taken in the students' schools. The main focus in PISA 2003 was on mathematics, but the survey also looked at student performance in problem-solving, science and reading and at students' approaches to learning and attitudes to school.




Now, the part that got me was the "taken in the students' schools". I have been to middle schools where students sit in groups of 4, or with a partner, and I have seen many students cheat. Do you possibly think that this could have happened?

You might ask yourselves "what? Why would any country cheat?"

But in the article in the Korean Times, the reporter clearly stated that "Korea has lost its disgraceful image of not being able to problem solve".

And...........we have recently seen a huge wave of cheating on the university entrance tests.

I don't know..............what do you think?

[Ya-ta Boy]

But cheating IS a form of problem solving.

Problem: I don't know the answer to Question #6.

Solution: Look at another student's answer sheet. Problem solved.

[Guri Guy]

You know, I was thinking the exact same thing. It is possible that cheating could have been involved. I am sure it isn't a national conspiracy to beat Japan or make themselves look better in the eyes of the world but maybe it is just teachers that really didn't care about the tests and had fairly lax supervision that day. Korean teachers that I know are usually overworked so maybe they just didn't care about it that much.
Or maybe Koreans are genuinely good at problem solving. Kudos to them I guess.

[Swiss James]

yeah but if they'd come 125th everyone would be on here going

"See, I told you koreans were stupid"

[Merlyn]

[Swiss James]

[On the other hand]

Does anyone know exactly what sorts of problems they were asked to solve? Like, was it the kind of stuff you normally see on IQ tests, such as which number comes next in the sequence or chicken is to bird as lion is to___?

[Cymro]

Find out where the tests were taken and go and check the place out.

Desks, walls and even the teachers' podiums at the college where I teach are covered in cheat notes.

If they're geniune, then we should all hope that one day these problem-solvers are putting their skills to use in the country's government.

[Merlyn]

[jajdude]

I can see why they might be proud. Anything to help them feel superior or not inferior to other countries. They can believe what they like if they want about how great they are.

Do I sound bitter? Yeah, maybe, I probably am...

[rapier]

I managed to get hold of the actual test paper:read this)
INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM SOLVING:QUESTIONS
1) What would you do to pass your exams if you had no memorised knowledge and have been sleeping every class?
a:revise all topics thoroughly.
b:Cheat with the latest KTF cellphone during the test.
2) You see someone walking towards you. what do you do?
a: move out the way
b: push through them.
3) You Are in a hurry as usual, but the traffic lights show red. Do you
a: stop and wait for pedestrians and other traffic.
b: Keep going, all the other drivers expect you to anyway.
4) Your foreign teacher insists that you stop calling him "kesecki". Do you
a; Start to treat him like you would any teacher of your own nationality.
b: Threaten the director with relocation to a different school, then get the waeguk fired for talking down to you.

(Note to examiner: All "b" answers correct)

[matthewwoodford]

They did well. Give them credit.