Young people today face unprecedented opportunities and unprecedented challenges. Globalisation brings innovation, new experiences and higher living standards, but it has also contributed to economic inequity and social division. While the affluent commute between continents, millions of migrants are struggling to adapt and settle in countries they do not know. In the face of declining social capital, civil society is under strain.

Students today live in a complex, interconnected, diverse and rapidly changing world. Economic, social, cultural, digital, demographic, environmental and epidemiological forces are shaping young people?s lives. This complex environment presents both opportunities and challenges. Students should not only be able to navigate this complex environment ? they should benefit from it.

The data referred to in this volume are presented in Annex B and, in greater detail, including additional tables, on the PISA website (www.oecd.org/pisa).

PISA is a triennial survey of 15-year-old students around the world that assesses the extent to which they have acquired key knowledge and skills essential for full participation in social and economic life. PISA assessments do not just ascertain whether students near the end of their compulsory education can reproduce what they have learned; they also examine how well students can extrapolate from what they have learned and apply their knowledge in unfamiliar settings, both in and outside of school.

This chapter defines the knowledge, skills and attitudes that constitute the four dimensions of global competence that are needed to thrive in an interconnected world. It explores the methods used to measure them and highlights topics of policy relevance explored in detail in subsequent chapters.

This chapter explores students’ ability to examine issues of local, global and cultural significance. In particular, it examines students’ self-efficacy regarding and awareness of global issues, as well as their performance on the global competence test related to this first dimension, while highlighting differences among students related to their socio-economic background and circumstances.

This chapter explores students’ understanding and appreciation of the perspectives and worldviews of others. In particular, it examines students’ ability to adapt to new situations, their interest in learning about other cultures and their attitudes towards people from other cultures and towards immigrants. All factors are explored through the prism of students’ socio-demographic backgrounds. Moreover, the chapter explores students’ performance on the cognitive test items corresponding to this second dimension of global competence.

This chapter examines students’ ability to engage in open, appropriate and effective communication across cultures. In particular, it examines students’ awareness of intercultural communication, their contact with people from other cultures and their mastery of languages other than their own. All factors are explored considering variations in students’ socio-economic status and circumstances.

This chapter examines students’ ability to take action for collective well-being and sustainable development. This fourth dimension of global competence builds on the three other dimensions and highlights the action-oriented and practical nature of these skills. The chapter explores students’ sense of agency regarding global issues and their capacity to take action and highlights differences related to their socio-economic background. It also explores students’ performance on the cognitive test items covering this dimension.

This chapter examines the links among the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to thrive in an interconnected world. It explores students’ performance on the cognitive global competence test and analyses how performance is related to students’ demographics and their global and intercultural skills, attitudes and dispositions. The chapter also examines how certain students’ outcomes are associated with system-level factors.

This chapter examines how schools and teachers can cultivate students’ ability to live in an interconnected world. Analyses explore data from the student, school and teacher questionnaires focusing on learning activities, the existence of relevant curricula and teachers? capacity to incorporate intercultural and global education into their lessons. The chapter also examines implications of the findings for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This chapter examines equity in students’ access to learning opportunities at school and how access is curtailed by practices such as tracking, grade repetition and stratification. It explores the association between these practices and students’ capacity to live in an interconnected world. The chapter also investigates how teachers? behaviours and intercultural attitudes are related to students’ attitudes and dispositions.

This chapter provides a synthesis of the results of the PISA 2018 global competence assessment. It describes how the concerted efforts of schools, teachers and parents can promote global knowledge, skills and positive attitudes among adolescents. The chapter highlights the holistic nature of global competence and the need for a comprehensive education policy in this field.