Teacher Training on Reading Literacy
Description
Total Duration
48 hours (12 hours synchronous and 36 hours asynchronous)
Implementation Method
Remote
Subject Area
Reading literacy
Information
The goal of the program is to support teachers of language courses in middle and high school:
1. to familiarize themselves with the PISA study (methodology and tools, results),
2. to gain an in-depth understanding of the PISA framework, the concept of literacy, and its relationship to the new curricula, and to be able to apply this knowledge in their teaching, by incorporating the characteristics of PISA-style questions/topics into targeted teaching practices and assessment activities, so that students develop the ability to understand, interpret, and evaluate texts,
3. to become familiar with the tools they can use to conduct their own personal research, as well as to make pedagogical use of PISA research data, and
4. to examine the role of PISA research in the public sphere, the prevailing beliefs, and the misconceptions surrounding it.
Upon completion of the training program, teachers will be able to:
• Define what the PISA program is and describe the role of the OECD and the National PISA Center in conducting the study in each country.
• Recognize the PISA cycles and phases and explain what “main subject area” means in each phase of the assessment.
• Describe the grading process carried out by trained graders.
• Explain the methodology of adaptive testing.
• Explain the sample selection process (selection of schools by the OECD, participation of all 15-year-old students, random selection within schools with large student populations), and explain how this ensures the sample’s representativeness.
• Describe the structure and tools of the study (cognitive test and questionnaires for students and principals) and explain the rationale for collecting this additional data.
• Explain the purpose of PISA, namely to assess 15-year-old students’ knowledge and skills necessary for meaningful participation in modern society, as well as the relationship between performance and factors such as social background, gender, geographic region, etc.
• Explain the PISA assessment framework and the concept of literacy on which it is based (text types, question types, cognitive processes, difficulty levels, literacy scales).
• Explain the relationship between the PISA assessment framework (literacy) and the new Modern Greek Language curricula for middle school and high school.
• Utilize the PISA assessment framework (literacy) in the teaching and assessment of the Modern Greek Language course.
• Be able to conduct their own research using the PISA tools and data provided by the pisa4u platform, interpret the results and data, and understand and explain the possibilities for developing educational policy based on PISA research.
• Serve as “ambassadors” for the PISA study in public discourse, communicating its true characteristics and benefits and dispelling any misconceptions and myths.
The Training Program is organized into modules, with a total training duration of 48 hours. The modules that make up the program are as follows:
1. PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment]
2. Literacy [in Reading Comprehension]: Concepts and Theoretical Framework
3. Literacy [in Reading Comprehension]: The Assessment Framework
4. Literacy [in Reading Comprehension]: Research Materials, Data, and Results from the PISA Study
5. Educational/Instructional Applications of the PISA Study
6. Utilization of PISA Research Findings
7. Public Understanding and Communication of PISA Research
8. Final Project—Submission of a Lesson Plan and Development of PISA-Style Questions
The training program is intended for secondary school teachers in the following subject areas: PE02, PE05, PE06, PE07, PE13, PE78
Participants who complete the entire Training Program (both synchronous and asynchronous formats) are required to complete all self-assessment exercises, as well as the final project. Participants who complete the Training Program in full will receive a Certificate of Successful Completion from the Center for Lifelong Learning (KEDIVIM) of the University of Ioannina, which will specify the duration of the program and the number of ECTS credits.
Please note that in order to progress from one module to the next, full-time participants must achieve a 75% passing score on the Self-Assessment Exercise. To successfully complete the Training Program, the final project must receive a positive evaluation.
Pavlos Velitzelos
He studied at the School of Philosophy at the University of Crete. He has been teaching since 1991, focusing primarily on the Modern Greek language and its assessment. He is a member of the PISA team at the National Institute of Educational Policy (IEP).
Georgia Droulia
A graduate of the Department of Classical Philology at the University of Ioannina, she holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Programs and Materials and is an adult educator. She has many years of experience in public secondary education.
Lenia Tzallila
A graduate of the Department of Greek Philology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and holder of a Master’s Degree in Classical Philology with distinction (King’s College London). Co-editor of the volume *Peitho: Thirteen Studies on Ancient Rhetoric* (Athens, 2003), member of the editorial team for the collective volume *Exquisite Laughter: Laughter in Ancient Greek Literature* (Athens, 2017), translator of “To Dionysius” (Athens, 2000), as well as other literary articles in various anthologies. She has been working in secondary education since 2005.
Penelope Papastratou
She holds a bachelor’s degree in French Literature from the University of Athens and a second bachelor’s degree in the teaching of French as a foreign language from Blaise Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand. She also holds a master’s degree in Comparative Literature from Sorbonne III – Inalco. She is a teacher in primary and secondary education. Since 2005, he has been a member of the PISA team at the National Center for Educational Research (KEEP-IEP), which is responsible for implementing the PISA study in Greece.
Katerina Arabatzi
Katerina Arabatzis has served in public education in various capacities: teacher (class PE02), school librarian, school principal, coordinator of the Humanities Education Project, education advisor for humanities teachers, and education quality supervisor. On July 3, 2025, she was appointed Director of the First Athens Regional Directorate of Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History, master’s degrees in History – Philosophy of Science (MSc), and Educational Leadership (MEd), as well as a doctoral degree (PhD) in History and the Philosophy of Science and Technology. As part of her duties, she was involved in teacher training, scientific and pedagogical guidance, and the planning and evaluation of educational programs at schools within her area of responsibility. She has participated in international and Greek conferences as a presenter on topics related to general and special education, has translated academic works into Greek, and has published articles in journals. As a member of the pedagogical team for European Erasmus+ programs, she has developed educational materials for socially vulnerable groups. Her research interests include the teaching of history, gender issues in education, educational leadership, and the education of refugees and students with special educational needs and disabilities.
