USING PIRLS IN EDUCATIONAL INTEGRATION

Abstract

The present thesis discusses the role of PIRLS, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, in educational integration. Educational integration is understood here as the coordinated connection of curriculum, assessment, teacher practice, reading culture, family support and evidence-based management into a single developmental system. PIRLS is especially valuable for this purpose because it does not measure reading as a narrow technical skill only. It studies reading achievement together with the purposes of reading, comprehension processes, school context, home environment, teaching resources and learners’ attitudes toward reading. Therefore, PIRLS data can help schools and education systems move from fragmented reforms toward integrated literacy development. The thesis argues that PIRLS can be used as a diagnostic, methodological and strategic instrument in educational integration. At the classroom level, it supports the integration of literary and informational texts, explicit comprehension strategies, differentiated tasks and formative assessment. At the institutional level, it encourages cooperation between teachers, school leaders and parents. At the national level, it provides comparative evidence for curriculum renewal and quality monitoring. The main conclusion is that PIRLS should not be treated only as an international ranking; rather, it should be used as a source of pedagogical reflection and practical improvement in reading literacy.