PIRLS - Progress in International Reading Literacy Study

PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) is an international comparative study that assesses the reading literacy of fourth graders. PIRLS is conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), which brings together research institutions from various countries and has been evaluating student achievements in different fields of development since 1959.
Since 2001, PIRLS has been conducted every five years in more than 50 countries and 11 regions around the world. Directed by the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College, PIRLS involves collaboration with partners such as RTI International, the University of Memphis, and Expertisecentrum Nederlands. Like all IEA studies, international coordination and development are undertaken in close cooperation with the national research centers of participating countries. Previous partners include Statistics Canada, the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in England and Wales, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the United States.
PIRLS aims to assess students’ reading skills at a critical stage in their development—when they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Evaluating reading achievement during this period provides policymakers and decision-makers with valuable insights into the effectiveness of education systems and helps identify areas for improvement. By monitoring and evaluating reading instruction over time, we can provide information that supports students in becoming self-efficacious readers.
PIRLS evaluates students’ reading achievement in two main areas: acquiring literary experience and finding and using information. The study utilizes two types of texts: informational and literary.
The survey assesses four key reading comprehension processes essential for understanding and interpreting both literary and informational texts:
•    Focusing on and locating explicitly stated information
•    Making direct inferences from the text
•    Interpreting and integrating ideas and information with existing knowledge
•    Evaluating and critically analyzing content and textual elements
Fourth-grade students typically acquire their reading skills in diverse settings—at school and at home, across various classrooms and teaching styles. Therefore, PIRLS aims to comprehensively examine the factors that influence students’ reading development by collecting data on reading achievement alongside contextual factors such as the education system, school resources, student attitudes, teaching practices, the use of information and communication technologies, and the supportive environment at home.