Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019: National Report for England

The percentage of Year 9 pupils in England performing below the low international benchmark in science has more than doubled in four years.

This study by the UCL Institute of Education has found that teenagers in England are performing significantly worse in science than in 2015. The study looked at the mathematics and science performance of 64 countries in 2019.

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      string(326) "This is the NFER national report for England, detailing England's achievement in TIMSS 2007. TIMSS is a worldwide research project, taking place every four years and providing data about trends in mathematics and science achievement over time. It assesses the knowledge and skills of pupils aged 9-10 and ..."
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      string(332) "high standard has been maintained at both grades.England’s performance at the international benchmarks· The proportion of pupils reaching each international benchmark in England was usually very close to that of countries performing at a similar level overall, but behind that of the high scoring Pacific Rim countries.· The ..."
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      string(690) "This is the NFER national report for England, detailing England's achievement in TIMSS 2007. TIMSS is a worldwide research project, taking place every four years and providing data about trends in mathematics and science achievement over time. It assesses the knowledge and skills of pupils aged 9-10 and 13-14 around the world, and enables researchers to collect extensive background information about the quantity, quality, and content of teaching, which can be used to make comparisons between participating countries. A conference was held in London in May 2009 for teachers from schools which participated in TIMSS 2007. 
Leadership Briefings Issue 4.02 (38)"
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      string(3727) "high standard has been maintained at both grades.England’s performance at the international benchmarks· The proportion of pupils reaching each international benchmark in England was usually very close to that of countries performing at a similar level overall, but behind that of the high scoring Pacific Rim countries.· The proportion of pupils reaching each international benchmark in England was very similar for grade 4 mathematics and science and for grade 8 science, around 15 per cent for the advanced benchmark, 48 per cent for high, 80 per cent for intermediate and 94 per cent for low. This reflected England’s very close overall scores in these three assessments. The proportions in grade 8 mathematics were lower, matching the lower overall score for this assessment.· The improvement in performance in mathematics at both grades was accompanied by higher numbers of pupils reaching the high and intermediate benchmarks, but not the advanced benchmark. The improved overall performance was associated most strongly by improvement in the middle score range.England’s performance in the content and cognitive domainsWithin England’s high level of performance, relative strengths and weaknesses were:· In grade 4 science England’s performance in the different content areas was reasonably consistent, but at grade 8 greater differences were evident, pupils scoring highest in physics and lowest in earth science.· Differences in mathematics content areas were more marked. In grade 4 the score for number was significantly lower than that for geometric shapes and measures or for data display. At grade 8, data display was England’s real strength and algebra a large weakness.· In the cognitive domains performance at grade 4 was reasonably consistent. In grade 8 science items assessing reasoning were England’s strong point while in grade 8 mathematics scores for applying were lower than those for knowing and reasoning.· Countries outscoring England overall showed varied profiles across both the content and cognitive domains in both subjects and grades. No one pattern of performance was associated with higher score levels than that of England.· Similarly, countries scoring at a similar level to England displayed a range of different relative strengths and weaknesses in both the content and cognitive domains.Gender differences· England was relatively unusual in showing no overall gender differences for mathematics and science in either grade.· Girls improved their performance in grade 4 mathematics, while at grade 8 the boys improved on previous mathematics performance.Attitudes· Between half and two thirds of pupils have a high level of enjoyment and confidence in their learning in mathematics and science, with the exception of mathematics at grade 8, where the comparable figure for enjoyment was only 40 percent.· England’s profile, of high performance but relatively low enjoyment, was common in other high scoring countries.· In each area, boys had higher levels of confidence than girls, despite no overall differences in attainment.· At grade 8, pupils generally valued their learning in mathematics, despite their relative lack of enjoyment of it; they clearly recognise that it can be useful to them. The same is true of science to a lesser extent.The pupils and the home· Computers in the home were almost universal with around 90 per cent of pupils also having internet access.· The amount of books in the home remains high, but grade 8 pupils reported having fewer books than in 2003.ActionNotesAuthorRaspal Chima, Imaginative MindsDate CreatedJune 2009Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk (Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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TIMSS 2007: National Report for England

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Leadership Briefing 12.06 (138)"
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      string(477) "... reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.PERFORMANCE IN TIMSS 2015 OFDISADVANTAGED PUPILS IN NORTHERNIRELANDKeywordsDisadvantagedPupils, NorthernIreland,performance,mathematics,science, TIMSS,deprivedbackgrounds,attainmentSummaryThis NFER study uses data from the 2015 cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics andScience Study (TIMSS) to investigate the role socioeconomic ..."
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Leadership Briefing 12.06 (138)"
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      string(4043) "Leadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.PERFORMANCE IN TIMSS 2015 OFDISADVANTAGED PUPILS IN NORTHERNIRELANDKeywordsDisadvantagedPupils, NorthernIreland,performance,mathematics,science, TIMSS,deprivedbackgrounds,attainmentSummaryThis NFER study uses data from the 2015 cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics andScience Study (TIMSS) to investigate the role socioeconomic status plays in the education of9-10-year olds in Northern Ireland.By using information on home resources and parents’ backgrounds it constructs a new index ofsocioeconomic status that goes beyond the standard analysis usually possible from TIMSS data.The relatively low achievement of young people from more deprived backgrounds has been a matterof recent debate in Northern Ireland. While the focus of the debate is generally attainment at post –primary level, analysis of data from the TIMMSS study gives us the opportunity to examine how gapsmay be apparent at a younger age when they are preparing for their progression to post – primaryschool.Key Findings: ■ There is a strong association between pupils’ socioeconomic status and their attainment in mathsand science. ■ This association is stronger than in other countries and it appears to be increasing. ■ Attainment in mathematics has increased among the most advantaged groups but not among theleast advantaged. ■ Early learning education up to the age of three shows a positive association with TIMSS scores,and higher socioeconomic groups have much higher levels of participation in early learning. ■ Participation in pre-primary education is also associated with higher scores but is more universal,with no difference in participation among socioeconomic groups. ■ Extra mathematics tuition is associated with higher mathematics scores. Those in the highestsocioeconomic group are twice as likely to have extra tuition as those in the lowest.Conclusions: ■ A clear message from this analysis is that socioeconomic background has a strong associationwith TIMSS achievement in Northern Ireland. This is particularly evident in mathematics where,although Northern Ireland achieves well internationally and pupils in the highest socioeconomicWeek Commencing 26th February 2018https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Performance-in-TIMSS-2015-of-disadvantaged-pupils-in-Northern-Ireland.pdfhttps://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Performance-in-TIMSS-2015-of-disadvantaged-pupils-in-Northern-Ireland.pdfhttps://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Performance-in-TIMSS-2015-of-disadvantaged-pupils-in-Northern-Ireland.pdfLeadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.groups have scores which compare well with similarly advantaged pupils in other countries, thepupils in the most deprived groups have much lower scores than their more privileged peers. ■ The gap between the highest and lowest socioeconomic groups in mathematics is the largestamong the comparator countries and has also increased since TIMSS 2011. ■ Analysis of the TIMSS data suggests that this gap is already evident at primary school and that itmay begin to develop even earlier, since those in higher socioeconomic groups are more likely toparticipate in early years education.WEB LINKPerformance In TIMSS 2015 Of Disadvantaged Pupils In Northern Irelandhttps://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Performance-in-TIMSS-2015-of-disadvantaged-pupils-in-Northern-Ireland.pdf"
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Leadership

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21 Feb 2018

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      string(359) "elements of Earth Science are taught through the geography curriculum in England).· Teacher career satisfaction in England was similar to or higher than in the highest achieving countries. However, higher levels of career satisfaction did not appear to be associated with increased pupil achievement.· More collaborative teaching practices were reported ..."
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Leadership Briefing issue 7.05 (77)"
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      string(2099) "elements of Earth Science are taught through the geography curriculum in England).· Teacher career satisfaction in England was similar to or higher than in the highest achieving countries. However, higher levels of career satisfaction did not appear to be associated with increased pupil achievement.· More collaborative teaching practices were reported in primary schools compared with secondary schools. Nearly half of Year 5 pupils were taught by teachers who had very collaborative teaching practices whereas the equivalent percentage for Year 9 pupils was approximately a quarter.· In England, headteachers’ and teachers’ reports indicated a higher emphasis on academic success compared with other participating countries. This was found at both primary and secondary level for both subjects.· There was a positive association between average achievement in Year 5 mathematics and science and attending a school perceived to be safe and orderly. This relationship was not seen for Year 9 mathematics and science.· Most Year 5 pupils attended schools where there were hardly any perceived discipline or safety issues. This was not so for Year 9 pupils: fewer than a fifth of Year 9 pupils were in schools perceived to have Hardly Any discipline or safety issues.· For both subjects at Year 5, there was a difference in the average achievement scores between pupils whose teachers reported that their ability to teach is limited a lot (by disruptive or uninterested pupils) and those who reported that their teaching is limited to some extent or not at all. The same only applied to mathematics at Year 9.· Sizeable proportions of pupils (just under half at Year 5 and just over two thirds at Year 9) reported that they almost never experienced bullying behaviours. However, 20 per cent of Year 5 pupils in England reported that they experienced some form of bullying behaviour about weekly, corresponding to the international average.ActionNotesAuthorR ChimaDate CreatedDecember 2012Enquiries to:raspal.chima@yahoo.co.uk(Authoring Unit)Month / YearPage 1 of 1©Birmingham City Council"
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Leadership

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12 Dec 2012

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      string(387) "... development related to maths content, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment. Although the number of days of mandatory school closures in England was below the median for TIMSS-participating countries, teachers received relatively less professional development in technology incorporation into instruction than other countries with a similar length of school closures, such ..."
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      string(4735) "This NFER report found that prior to schools around the world closing because of COVID-19, 82.5 per cent of pupils in England lacked a teacher who had received professional development in incorporating technology into maths instruction.The analysis finds that at just 17.5 per cent, teachers in England were well below the international average of 35 per cent for having received professional development of incorporating technology into maths lessons.This absence of training meant that England’s primary pupils were more likely to be receiving remote learning provision from a teacher who had had no formal CPD in incorporating technology into maths teaching, which could compound the issue of potential learning loss. Such training could have helped a more effective transition to online learning during the pandemic.The influence of digital familiarity in the classroom and teacher professional development in technology on pupil performance in maths or science in normal times is not straightforward. However, they do provide a useful indication of how well countries were positioned to engage with a rapid and unexpected shift to remote learning due to COVID-19.Key Findings:Before the pandemic, the variation in availability of computers for Year 5pupils across countries was considerable, with an international average below 50 per cent for both maths and science lessons. Access for pupils in England was below this average, whereas among high-performing comparator countries it was 14 percentage points higher. Higher availability of computers across high-performing countries did not necessarily translate to more frequent use of computers in the classroom. Like other high-performing countries, teachers and pupils in England were relatively infrequent users of computers in the classroom. The percentage of pupils using computers at least once a week for schoolwork in England was 12 percentage points lower than the international average in science and three percentage points lower in maths.    Year 5 pupils in more affluent schools in England were more likely to have access to computers and exposure to their use in learning. For example, they were 34 percentage points more likely to have had computers available for science lessons and 57 percentage points more likely to have had teachers who used computers to support learning in maths lessons at least once per week, compared with pupils from more disadvantaged schools. Internationally, only a third of pupils had teachers who participated in professional development in integrating technology into maths instructions in the two years prior to the survey. England was below this average, where only 17.5per cent of pupils had teachers who had participated in this training.  The socioeconomic gap observed in computer access and use in England is not reflected in teacher training. A similar percentage of pupils from more affluent and more disadvantaged schools in England had teachers who had previously received professional development in integrating technology into maths instruction. Globally, 72 per cent of Year 5 pupils had teachers who reported needing further training in technology for maths instruction. This proportion was higher than for other types of professional development related to maths content, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment. Although the number of days of mandatory school closures in England was below the median for TIMSS-participating countries, teachers received relatively less professional development in technology incorporation into instruction than other countries with a similar length of school closures, such as Singapore, Lithuania and Northern Ireland.Recommendations:It is more important than ever to be clear on how technology can be most effectively embedded into teaching practice. This is particularly true in the short term, but a longer-term understanding of what factors mediate the impact of technology on learning is key to developing teaching practices for future needs and resilience. Professional development in technology incorporation should be a high policy priority moving forward. This report highlights the relative lack of this type of teacher training in England in comparison to other countries, and the opportunity available to realise benefits for teachers, pupils and the wider education system. Particular attention should be given to technology gaps for schools serving the most disadvantaged pupils, in terms of both availability and use of ICT tools. These gaps should be investigated further and targeted support provided to schools in using technology in evidence-informed ways.Link: How Prepared Were Primary Teachers and Pupils in England for the Shift To Online Learning?"
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Leadership

How Prepared Were Primary Teachers and Pupils in England for the Shift To Online Learning?

6 Jan 2021