Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015
Synopsis
TIMSS is an international assessment of mathematics and science abilities of years five and nine pupils, and has been conducted every four years since 1995. TIMSS 2015 is the sixth assessment in the series, monitoring 20 years of trends in educational achievement, together with comprehensive data on pupils’ contexts for learning maths and science.
In 2015, 57 countries and 7 benchmarking entities (regional jurisdictions of countries such as states or provinces) participated in TIMSS. The majority of TIMSS assessments test pupils’ applying and reasoning skills. In total, more than 580,000 pupils took part.
In this latest TIMSS England retained its place as a solid performer in maths and science, but saw no overall improvement on 2011. For maths in year five, England remained in 10th position, behind Northern Ireland, Russia, Norway, and Ireland, and 72 points behind the very top performer, Singapore. In year five science English pupils also remained in 15th position, behind Finland, Russia, and east Asian countries.
Methodology
CPD Opportunities
This international study compares the mathematics and science performance of pupils in years five and nine. It may be particularly useful for teachers with responsibilities for those age groups, as well as policy makers.