30 October 2025

Librarians: The Silent Catalysts Behind PISA Achievement

Agenda
11



Libraries: The Pedagogical Hub for 21st-Century Skills!

The results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) serve as a critical benchmark for national educational quality (OECD, 2025). However, is the secret to this success found solely within classroom instruction? Comprehensive research indicates a pivotal, yet often overlooked, factor in elevating PISA scores: “Expert Librarians” and “Information Literacy” instruction. According to recent academic reports, the impact of libraries and librarians on student achievement transcends the traditional role of material provision; instead, it encompasses a profound pedagogical function that directly cultivates students’ critical thinking and information management capabilities (Alleyne, 2024).

The Intersection of PISA’s Advanced Competencies and Information Literacy

PISA assessments demand that students apply knowledge to novel contexts and solve complex problems rather than merely reciting facts. Specifically, PISA’s advanced reading tasks (Level 4 and above) require students to correlate internal and external information, establish connections, and perform logical synthesis. This is where the librarian emerges as a strategic figure, bridging the critical gap.

PISA’s cognitive evaluations expect students to analyze texts deeply through a critical lens, synthesize disparate information, and draw evidence-based conclusions. In response to these high-level demands, librarians offer a strategic solution: through “Information Literacy” education, they empower students to interrogate and evaluate information based on reliability, currency, and neutrality. Consequently, the critical thinking skills required by PISA are built upon the pedagogical foundations laid by librarians. In short, Information Literacy—systematically delivered by librarians—is the most potent and direct resource for anchoring the applied and critical literacy competencies measured by PISA.

Scientific Evidence: An 8% Increase in Achievement!

Research confirms that the active involvement of a librarian creates a tangible impact on academic performance. A comprehensive study in the U.S. noted that schools with full-time certified librarians saw an approximate 8% increase in advanced reading scores, whereas the absence of such professionals was linked to a decline in scores (Alleyne, 2024). Furthermore, not only the expertise of the librarian but also the quality and quantity of library collections—both physical and digital—contribute significantly to student test results (Williams et al., 2024; Library Research Service, 2025). These scientific findings demonstrate that a librarian should be positioned not merely as a facilitator of book circulation, but as a strategic educational leader playing a critical role in curriculum-integrated teaching and learning.

Structural Obstacles in Turkey

The Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) has outlined an ambitious vision by including Information Literacy—encompassing digital, data, and visual literacies—among its 10 core competencies (MEB, 2025). However, practical implementation faces significant structural hurdles and infrastructural gaps (Information Literacy Workshop, 2020; Çakmak & Önal, 2013).

The discrepancy between policy and practice hinders the systematic acquisition of these PISA-essential skills. Despite the Ministry’s vision to transition librarians into active educator roles, serious disruptions occur in practice. The primary structural barriers include the lack of a standardized Information Literacy curriculum in state schools and the inconsistency of activities. This situation prevents students from developing advanced PISA skills such as synthesis and critique. Additionally, personnel shortages and restricted access to automation systems further exacerbate the issue. These deficiencies weaken the scientifically proven “librarian effect” and cause cognitive energy to be diverted toward basic problems rather than higher-order thinking. This clearly indicates that for Turkey to permanently improve its PISA performance, structural gaps must first be eliminated.

The Necessity of Transformation: Reimagining the Library as a Learning Center

For sustained PISA success, libraries must evolve from mere book repositories into active learning centers where 21st-century skills are forged. This transition necessitates the employment of specialist librarians, the mandating of a national “Information Literacy” curriculum, and infrastructural reforms that support independent access to information.

Bahar Biçen Aras Head of Department, Department of Information Resources and Libraries

Selected Bibliography

  • Alleyne, A. (2024, April 18). Investing in School Libraries and Librarians To Improve Literacy Outcomes. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from [Link]

  • Bilgi Okuryazarlığı Çalıştayı (2020). Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Retrieved from [Link]

  • Çakmak, T., & Önal, H. İ. (2013). The Roles and Perceptions of School Librarians in Gaining Information Literacy Skills. Türk Kütüphaneciliği, 27(4), 633-647.

  • Library Research Service (2025). School Libraries Impact Studies. Retrieved from [Link]

  • MEB (2025). Efforts Initiated to Increase the Efficiency of School Libraries. Tekirdağ Provincial Directorate of National Education.

  • OECD (2025). PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Retrieved from [Link]

  • Williams, D., Wavell, C., & Morrison, K. (2024). Impact of School Libraries on Learning. Scottish Libraries.




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