Teacher Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment in Comparative Perspective: Explaining PISA Performance Gaps between Singapore and the Philippines

Abstract

This study compares the education systems of Singapore and the Philippines to explain their divergent outcomes in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Using Bereday’s Four-Stage Comparative Model, the analysis examines three interrelated dimensions: teacher quality, curriculum structures, and assessment practices. Evidence from policy documents, international reports, and secondary literature shows that Singapore’s selective teacher recruitment, coherent curricula, and integrated assessment practices form a mutually reinforcing cycle that sustains high performance. By contrast, the Philippines’ ambitious reforms, such as K to 12 and teacher professional standards, are constrained by uneven implementation, resource shortages, and limited systemic alignment. The study contributes to comparative education literature by moving beyond descriptive contrasts to demonstrate the central role of policy coherence in shaping student achievement. It advances knowledge by showing that fragmented reforms, no matter how progressive, cannot yield improved outcomes without integration across teacher preparation, curricular design, and assessment practices. The broader implication is that education systems thrive when reforms are coherent, equitable, and sustainable. Insights from this study provide guidance for the Philippines and similar contexts: strengthen teacher preparation and professional development, refine curricula for depth over breadth, and align assessments with 21st-century competencies. More generally, the findings offer a framework for developing countries to design reforms that translate intent into measurable learning outcomes.