Comparison Despite Uniqueness: A Thematic Analysis of the PISA 2022 Results for the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) participates in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as part of a strategy to ensure educational improvement and future economic development for the country. The PISA results are presented by comparing every participating country on each test part, most often as a ranking. Different computed indices or relationships are also described within the results, mainly in comparison, and countries that exemplify the patterns or do not fit the patterns are described in the accompanying text. This research was conducted by analyzing each mention of the UAE in the four main results documents for PISA 2022 to understand how the UAE is portrayed and the contextual information provided about the country. Critical thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2017) revealed the uniqueness of UAE schools, students, and PISA results. These three main themes are discussed along with my experience at the UAE PISA 2022 results announcement in December 2023. The article concludes with a discussion of the use of comparison despite the uniqueness of the UAE, the implications for using the PISA results considering the differences of the UAE, the connection to education policy, and how a focus on PISA results may constrain UAE education policy.