Use and Impact of PIRLS
This is the second time the UAE is participating in PIRLS, and its first in the inaugural ePIRLS. Administering PIRLS 2016 and ePIRLS 2016 across the UAE will allow decision makers to measure student achievement in Arabic and English, and will enable international comparisons in reading achievement. Participation also will help schools identify contextual factors at school and home affecting student performance.
Experts in the assessment and examination department of the Ministry of Education have studied the UAE’s results in English and Arabic from PIRLS 2011.2 This has led to updates to the national curriculum including new teaching strategies and additional required skill areas.3 Additionally, new textbooks for use in Grade 4 emphasize analytical skills. Finally, teachers in the UAE have been using PIRLS released items, which have been uploaded to the Ministry of Education website, extensively in classrooms.