PIACC was initiated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The study is overseen by the PIAAC Board of Participating Countries. PIAAC is a continuation of the  International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) study (1994–1998), in which Poland also participated, and the  Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) (2003–2008).

The first PIAAC cycle was conducted in 2011–2017. It consisted of three rounds of data collection, with 24, 8, and 6 countries participating, respectively. Poland took part in the first round of the study in 2011–2012. In 2014–2015, the participants from Poland were surveyed again and asked additional questions in a survey (the postPIAAC study). The second cycle of the PIAAC study took place from 2018–2024. In Poland, data collection from respondents was conducted in 2022–2023.

The PIAAC study measures the fundamental skills needed to function in the modern world, which are key to acquiring new knowledge and competences. In the second cycle of the study, skills such as literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving were assessed. The first cycle also assessed the skill of problem solving using new technologies.

PIAAC participants additionally answer questions regarding their education, learning activities, labor market situation, and opinions and attitudes towards learning. They are also asked how they use their skills in daily life and at work.

The PIAAC study is conducted among individuals aged 16–65 who are permanent residents of a given country and are not in residential institutions. It is conducted on a representative, random sample, adapted to the conditions of each country. In Poland, for the first and second cycles of the study, the sample was drawn from the PESEL register. The sampling was done in two stages – first, localities were randomly selected, then the individuals to be surveyed were chosen within those localities. Other countries use similar registers or address-based sampling. The sampling rules can be modified depending on the needs of the participating countries. During the first cycle of the study in Poland, young people (aged 19–26) were overrepresented in the sample. Some countries also survey an additional sample of individuals aged 65+.

The PIAAC study is conducted in the participant’s home. A trained interviewer conducts the survey using a questionnaire, after which the participant, in the interviewer’s presence, takes part in a skills assessment by completing task sets. During the first cycle, participants in Poland could choose between a computer-based or paper-based format, with the paper version intended primarily for those with lower digital skills. In the second cycle, the survey was conducted exclusively in a computer-based format (tablet or computer).

The Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute is responsible for the PIAAC studies in Poland. The study is conducted on behalf of the Ministry of National Education. A total of 39 countries and regions participated across the three rounds of the first PIAAC cycle. 31 countries signed up for the first round of the second cycle.

For more information, please visit the Polish study website and the OECD website.

Data and instruments

SSES was initiated and is organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). SSES is one of the newest comparative studies conducted by OECD. To date, two cycles of the study have taken place, in 2019 and 2023, and a third will be held in 2026. Poland will join the study for the first time in this third cycle.

The goal of SSES is to assess the level of social and emotional skills among 10- and 15-year-old students and to identify factors that are particularly important for the development of these skills. The study also allows for a better understanding of the relationship between social and emotional skills and other areas of children’s and adolescents’ lives, such as academic achievement, well-being, and career aspirations. SSES covers a wide range of skills, including perseverance, empathy, cooperation, creativity, and emotion regulation.

The main participants in the study are students from two age groups. The primary group is fifteen-year-olds, and an optional group is ten-year-olds. The 2026 study will include both groups of students in Poland. The study is conducted on a representative, random sample of students, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the entire population of fifteen- and ten-year-olds attending school in a given country. The sampling is done in two stages – first, schools are randomly selected, and then specific students are randomly chosen within those schools. In each country, the study usually involves approximately 75 schools and 3,000 students in each age group. During the assessment at schools, students complete computer-based questionnaires covering the skills defined in the study’s framework.

In addition to the social and emotional skills of students, a range of contextual factors are also examined, relating to, among other things, students’ opinions and attitudes, their home environment, experiences both in and out of school, as well as the opinions, attitudes, and experiences of teachers, teaching processes at the classroom and school level, and the school’s resources and organization. Data on these factors are collected through questionnaires completed by students, principals of the selected schools, and teachers. SSES involves teachers of various subjects who teach in the grades  attended by fifteen- and ten-year-olds. From this group of teachers in the selected schools, a specific number are randomly chosen and invited to participate. In some countries, students’ parents also complete a questionnaire.

Poland will participate in the SSES study for the first time in 2026, in its third cycle. The Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute is responsible for organizing the study in Poland. The SSES 2026 study is being conducted as part of the project "Preparation and implementation of international educational research in the field of key competences" financed by European Funds for Social Development (FERS).

SSES is a relatively new study, and the number of participating countries and regions is steadily increasing with each cycle. In the first 2019 cycle, 10 localities (cities) took part. In 2023, 6 countries and 10 regions participated. A slightly larger number of participants is anticipated for the third cycle of the study in 2026.

Data and instruments

TALIS was initiated and is organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The study’s priorities are set by the TALIS Governing Board. The study involves collaboration with many partners, including the European Commission, Education International (an international federation of teachers’ unions), as well as participating countries and an international research consortium.

The goal of the study is to describe the conditions of teaching and learning, providing insight into the realities of school work from the perspective of teachers and school principals.

TALIS is a cyclical study, originally conducted every five years and now every six years. To date, four cycles have been completed. Poland participated in three of them: in 2008, 2013, and 2024.

The topics covered in TALIS include teacher professional development, teachers’ responsibilities and the time spent on them, teaching practice, school management, and job satisfaction. For the first time, TALIS 2024 included an optional module on teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, focusing on the practical and expert knowledge of a teacher, independent of the subject taught. Poland is one of eight countries participating in this module.

The TALIS study is conducted among teachers and school principals at ISCED Level 2 (lower secondary education). In Poland’s case, this included lower secondary school (gimnazjum) teachers and principals in 2008 and 2013. In the 2024 cycle, participants include 5th–8th grade primary school teachers and primary school principals. TALIS also enables countries to participate in additional survey components for teachers and principals at other levels: ISCED 1 (primary), ISCED 3 (upper secondary), and ISCED 01/02 (early childhood education and care). Teachers in Poland at ISCED levels 1 and 3 participated only in the 2013 study.

The study is conducted on a representative, random sample of teachers and school principals. The sample selection is a two-stage process: first, schools are randomly selected, and their principals are invited to participate. Then, teachers are randomly selected from within those schools.

During the study, teachers and principals complete questionnaires. While paper versions dominated in the first cycles, the study has gradually transitioned to a digital format. Nearly all countries participating in TALIS 2024 conducted the survey online.

In Poland, the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute is responsible for implementing the TALIS study, on behalf of the Ministry of National Education.

The first cycle of the study included 24 countries, one of which was Poland. The number of participating countries has grown significantly since then. Over 50 countries and regions took part in TALIS 2024.

For more information, please visit the Polish study website and the OECD website.

Data and instruments

ICCS was initiated and is organized by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The primary goal of the study is to determine the extent to which young people are prepared to participate in social life and undertake their role as citizens in a democratic society. ICCS measures students’ civic knowledge and understanding, as well as their civic attitudes and engagement. Three cycles of this study have been completed so far: in 2009, 2016, and 2022. Poland participated in the first and third ICCS cycles.

The study is conducted among students in their eighth year of schooling, with the average age of students at the time of the assessment not being less than 13.5 years. In Poland, second-year lower secondary school (gimnazjum) students took part in ICCS 2009, while the participants  in ICCS 2022 were eighth-grade primary school students.

The study is conducted on a representative, random sample of students. Based on the results, conclusions can be drawn about the entire population of eighth-grade students attending school in a given country. The sampling is done in two stages – first, schools are randomly selected, and then 8th-grade classes are randomly chosen within those schools. All students from the selected classes are invited to participate in the study. During the assessment, which takes place at school, students complete task sets on civics and citizenship,  and after this, they respond to questionnaires. Approximately 150 schools usually participate in the study in each country.

In addition to civic knowledge and understanding, attitudes, and engagement, the study examines a range of contextual factors relating to, among others, students’ opinions and attitudes, their home environment and educational experiences, teaching processes at the classroom and school level, and the school’s resources and organization. Data on these issues are collected through questionnaires completed by students, school principals, and teachers from the schools selected for the study.

Teachers of eighth-grade classes also participate in ICCS.  In each sampled school, teachers are randomly selected from all those teaching at this grade level, not only those who teach the students selected for the assessment. This approach makes it possible to generalize the findings to the entire population of eighth-grade teachers in a given country. 

The first study cycle, ICCS 2009, was conducted exclusively using a paper-based format. Subsequent cycles gradually introduced computer-based assessment elements. In ICCS 2016, an online format was introduced for school principal and teacher questionnaires. ICCS 2022 added a computer-based student assessment. In 2022, students and principals in Poland used the paper format, while teachers completed the questionnaire online. Looking ahead, ICCS 2027 will be the first cycle where a computer-based assessment is mandatory for all participating countries.

The 2009 study in Poland was conducted by a research team from the University of Warsaw and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences. The Educational Research Institute was responsible for ICCS 2022, conducted on behalf of the Ministry of National Education.

The number of countries and regions participating in ICCS has varied over the years. The first cycle in 2009 included 38 countries and regions, the second in 2016 had 25, and the third in 2022 had 24.

For more information, please visit: the Polish study website and the IEA website.

Data and instruments