TIMSS
Trends International Maths and Science Study
The Trends International Maths and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international large scale assessment designed to provide a perspective on mathematics and science teaching and learning and therefore inform educational policy and practice (ACER 2014). The National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES) - part of the U.S. Department of Education - is responsible for developing and administering TIMSS within the United States, while The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) controls TIMSS internationally (IES 2015).
TIMSS was first conducted in 1995 and reports every four years on students in years 4 and 8, and has also collected data from year 12 students twice as part of the TIMSS Advanced testing (IES 2105). Examples of the 2011 TIMSS testing can be found below.
Short questionnaires are also included for students, teachers and parents as a way of gathering further information about classroom goals and individual student learning backgrounds (AMS 1996). An example of the 2011 questionnaires can be found below.
To the left is a video summarising the goals and importance of TIMSS testing, as well as PIRLS testing - a test which is often used internationally to compliment TIMSS. |
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TIMSS testing has been compared and contrasted with PISA testing, but research has indicated that TIMSS questions not only require more knowledge application and curriculum knowledge, but are also more specific than PISA questions. This research can be found in the study to the right, published in the International Journal of Testing, Volume 15, Issue 1.
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I personally see the international TIMSS testing as a vital way to inform mathematics and science education and that the use of personal questionnaires allows for more thorough research to then use to develop and improve curriculum and classroom practice.
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A reference list for this page can be found below:
Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) 2014, Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, Available at: <http://www.acer.edu.au/timss>, accessed 20 March 2015.
Institute of Education Sciences (IES) 2015, Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, Available at: <https://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/>, accessed 20 March 2015.
Academic Management System (AMS) 1996, The Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Available at: <http://www.ams.org/notices/199605/comm-timss.pdf>, accessed 21 March 2015.
Rindermann, H & Baumeister, A 2015, Validating the Interpretations of PISA and TIMSS Tasks: A Rating Study, International Journal of Testing, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p1-22.
Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) 2014, Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, Available at: <http://www.acer.edu.au/timss>, accessed 20 March 2015.
Institute of Education Sciences (IES) 2015, Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, Available at: <https://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/>, accessed 20 March 2015.
Academic Management System (AMS) 1996, The Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Available at: <http://www.ams.org/notices/199605/comm-timss.pdf>, accessed 21 March 2015.
Rindermann, H & Baumeister, A 2015, Validating the Interpretations of PISA and TIMSS Tasks: A Rating Study, International Journal of Testing, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p1-22.