TIMSS - Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( TIMSS ) is an international comparative school performance study that has been carried out every four years by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) since 1995 .
background
TIMSS examines mathematics and science performance in elementary school, secondary level I and II . TIMSS was originally an acronym for Third International Mathematics and Science Study , the 1999 round was continued as TIMSS-R (R for repeat ); since TIMSS 2003 the acronym stands for Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study .
Previous studies were FIMS (First International Mathematics Study, 1964, 12 countries) and SIMS (Second International Mathematics Study, 1980–82, 20 countries, without German participation) as well as FISS and SISS (First and Second International Science Study, 1968–1972 and 1982–1986, SISS without German participation).
execution
So far (as of 2016) there have been 6 TIMSS studies: 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015. The results of the 2015 study were announced on November 29, 2016 and a full report is expected in February 2017.
The education systems of countries were always examined, although these countries did not necessarily have to be separate states. For example, in the United Kingdom Northern Ireland on the one hand and England and Wales on the other hand, and in Belgium Flanders and Wallonia were separated.
The TIMSS 1995 study included 41 participating countries, which were examined in 5 school classes. The TIMSS 1999 study then only examined the 8th grade in 38 different countries. In the TIMSS 2003 study, 26 countries were examined for 4th grade and 48 for 8th grade. In the TIMSS 2007 study there were 44 countries for 4th grade and 57 for 8th grade, and in TIMSS 2011 the corresponding numbers were 52 and 45, respectively.
At least 4,500 to 5,000 students were included in each of the participating countries.
So far, educational researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development , the Leibniz Institute for Science Education at the University of Kiel and the Humboldt University in Berlin have participated in TIMSS on the German side . TIMSS 2007, 2011 and 2015 were mainly processed at the Institute for School Development Research (IFS) of the Technical University of Dortmund.
Results
The top positions at TIMSS are regularly taken by the East Asian countries ( Singapore , South Korea , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Japan ; see tables below). The test scores of the countries with the highest performance in mathematics and natural sciences are shown in the table below.
Germany has never been in the top 10, Austria twice (in mathematics and natural sciences 1995) and Switzerland once (in mathematics 1995). European countries that were more frequently in this group are the Netherlands, England with Wales, Hungary and Russia.
In the latest TIMSS 2015 study, fourth graders in Germany achieved the following places: 522 (24th place, mathematics) and 528 (20th place, natural sciences). Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg did not take part in the TIMMS 2015 study.
With the tables listed below, it should be noted that not all countries have always participated in all studies. If Germany, Austria or Switzerland are not listed in the following tables, they have not taken the respective test or the respective year level.
mathematics
Fourth grade
TIMSS (1995)
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TIMSS (2003)
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TIMSS (2007)
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TIMSS (2011)
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TIMSS (2015)
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Eighth grade
TIMSS (1995)
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TIMSS-R (1999)
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TIMSS (2003)
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TIMSS (2007)
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TIMSS (2011)
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TIMSS (2015)
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Natural sciences
Fourth grade
TIMSS (1995)
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TIMSS (2003)
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TIMSS (2007)
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TIMSS (2011)
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TIMSS (2015)
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Eighth grade
TIMSS (1995)
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TIMSS-R (1999)
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TIMSS (2003)
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TIMSS (2007)
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TIMSS (2011)
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TIMSS (2015)
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The results of TIMSS / III for the German students in detail:
Basic mathematical and scientific education
Wikipedia: WikiProject events / past / missing
The central findings (cf. Baumert et al. 2000, Volume 1):
- Here, the test results of German students in the group of comparable countries are in the lower range.
- The potentially best performing German students cannot compete with top students from neighboring European countries.
- There are relative weaknesses in tasks that
- the independent application of what has been learned,
- the transfer to new contexts or
- a flexible restructuring of problem constellations
- require. German students are more likely to achieve good results in routine tasks.
- The deficit in mathematical basic education is not only limited to the vocational education system, but is also a characteristic of the upper secondary level.
The TIMSS 2015 study showed (similar to the previous studies) that in Germany the proportion of students in the top group, i.e. students who can solve more difficult tasks ( “Advanced International Benchmark” ), is significantly lower than in many other countries. In mathematics it was 5% (TIMSS 2011 also 5%, TIMSS 2007 6%). In Singapore this share was 50% (2011 43%, 2007 41%). In the natural sciences, the values for Germany were 8% (2015), 7% (2011), 10% (2007) and for Singapore 37% (2015), 33% (2011) and 36% (2007).
Subject achievements in pre-university mathematics lessons
Wikipedia: WikiProject events / past / missing
The central findings (cf. Baumert et al. 2000, Volume 2):
- In the top groups, German students also do only mediocre.
- German students are not represented in the top international group. The more demanding a task, the more the German high school graduates fall behind students from other European countries.
Specialist performance in pre-university physics classes
Wikipedia: WikiProject events / past / missing
The central findings (Baumert et al. 2000, Volume 2):
- The test results of German students who attend physics courses at the upper level are in the middle range.
- Even among the best performing students, German students are in a broad midfield.
- It is true that German students score significantly better than the students from the USA when comparing the top performers, but international top performances by Scandinavian students are not achieved by German students.
- German high school graduates find it particularly difficult with tasks that require the overcoming of typical misconceptions or that require special conceptual knowledge. On the other hand, they are comparatively successful with open task formats.
reception
The study was hotly debated among educators, but hardly noticed by the general public. With a few exceptions, however, it was the first performance review with standardized methods at international level in which Germany participated. This marked an empirical turning point in German education away from a more humanistic orientation. However, much more attention was paid to the PISA study, the OECD , which in 2000 her first from six passes completed (Koeller, Baumert 2001).
Original data
literature
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J. Baumert , W. Bos , R. Lehmann (Eds.): TIMSS / II. Third International Mathematics and Science Study - Mathematics and Science Education at the End of School Careers . Volume 1: Basic mathematical and scientific education at the end of compulsory schooling. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2000.
- J. Baumert, W. Bos, R. Lehmann (Eds.): TIMSS / III: Third International Mathematics and Natural Science Study - Mathematical and Natural Science Education at the End of School Careers . Volume 2: Mathematical and scientific basic education at the end of the upper secondary school level. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2000.
- O. Köller, J. Baumert: TIMMS: Third International Mathematics and Science Study. In: Franz E. Weinert: Performance measurements in schools. Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 2001.
- J. Hiebert, R. Gallimore, H. Garnier, K. Givvin Bogard, H. Hollingsworth, J. Jacobs, A. Miu-Ying Chui, D. Wearne, M. Smith, N. Kersting, A. Manaster, E. Tseng, W. Etterbeek, C. Manaster, P. Gonzales, J. Stigler: Teaching Mathematics in Seven Countries - Results From the TIMSS 1999 Video Study . US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Washington DC 2003.
- Wilfried Bos, Martin Bonsen, Jürgen Baumert, Manfred Prenzel , Christoph Selter, Gerd Walther (eds.): TIMSS 2007. Mathematical and scientific competencies of primary school children in Germany in an international comparison. Waxmann, Münster et al. 2008, ISBN 978-3-8309-2090-8 .
- Wilfried Bos, Martin Bonsen, Nicole Kummer, Katrin Lintorf, Kristina Frey (eds.): TIMSS 2007. Documentation of the survey instruments for trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Waxmann, Münster et al. 2009, ISBN 978-3-8309-2143-1 .
- U. Moser, E. Ramseier, C. Keller: School on the test stand: an evaluation of secondary level 1 on the basis of the "Third International Mathematics and Science Study". Rüegger, Chur et al. 1997.
- E. Ramseier, C. Keller, U. Moser: Education balance: an evaluation at the end of upper secondary level on the basis of the "Third International Mathematics and Science Study". Rueegger, Chur et al. 1999.
Web links
Individual evidence
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↑ TIMSS. Our Studies: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. IEA, accessed November 29, 2016 .
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^ International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. IEA, accessed November 21, 2016 .
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↑ TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics. (PDF) TIMSS International Study Center, p. 29 , accessed on May 3, 2014 (English).
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↑ a b Download Center. November 29, 2016, accessed on November 29, 2016 (English, Download All Mathematics and Science Exhibits (PDF)).
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↑ a b Download Center. November 29, 2016, accessed on November 29, 2016 (English, Download Download All Science Exhibits (PDF)).
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↑ See the list of studies with participating countries at http://www.iea.nl/our-studies