TIMSS 2023 Results
Achievement and test scales
Scale creation
The TIMSS international achievement scales were developed on the basis of item response theory (IRT) and latent regression population models using plausible values, with each student respondent being assigned five plausible values on each of the achievement scales.
List of achievement scales
- Mathematics (Grade 4 and Grade 8)
- Science (Grade 4 and Grade 8)
- Content domains
- Mathematics
- Grade 4: number, measurement and geometry, data
- Grade 8: number, algebra, geometry, data and probability
- Science
- Grade 4: life science, physical science, earth science
- Grade 8: biology, chemistry, physics, earth science
- Mathematics
- Cognitive domains (Mathematics and Science, Grades 4 and 8)
- Knowing
- Applying
- Reasoning
Overall achievement results were reported in terms of the percentages of students reaching the following four benchmarks:
- Advanced International Benchmark (625)
- High International Benchmark (550)
- Intermediate International Benchmark (475)
- Low International Benchmark (400)
The descriptions of the competencies of students reaching each of these benchmarks were determined by means of a scale-anchoring process.
Questionnaire and background scales
Scale creation
The use of item response theory (IRT) methods for reporting context data, specifically the Rasch partial credit model, was introduced in TIMSS 2011 and has continued to be used through TIMSS 2023.
List of Background scales
- Home environment support scales
- Home Resources for Learning (Grade 4)
- Home Educational Resources (Grade 8)
- Home Socioeconomic Status (Grade 4)
- Home Early Literacy Activities Before Primary School (Grade 4)
- Home Early Numeracy Activities Before Primary School (Grade 4)
- Home Early Literacy and Numeracy Activities Before Primary School (Grade 4)
- Could Do Early Literacy Tasks When Beginning Primary School (Grade 4)
- Could Do Early Numeracy Tasks When Beginning Primary School (Grade 4)
- Could Do Literacy and Numeracy Tasks When Beginning Primary School (Grade 4)
- School composition and resources scales
- Instruction Affected by Mathematics Resource Shortages (Grades 4 and 8)
- Instruction Affected by Science Resource Shortages (Grades 4 and 8)
- Schools Where Students Begin Primary Grades with Literacy and Numeracy Skills (Grade 4)
- School climate scales
- School Emphasis on Academic Success – Principals’ Reports (Grades 4 and 8)
- School Emphasis on Academic Success - Teachers’ Reports (Grades 4 and 8)
- Parents’ Perceptions of Their Child’s School (Grade 4)
- Sense of School Belonging (Grades 4 and 8)
- School discipline and safety scales
- School Discipline (Grades 4 and 8)
- Safe and Orderly School (Grades 4 and 8)
- Student Bullying (Grades 4 and 8)
- Teacher preparation, professional development, and job satisfaction
- Teachers’ Job Satisfaction (Grades 4 and 8)
- Challenges to teaching and learning scales
- Teaching Limited by Students Not Ready for Instruction (Grades 4 and 8)
- Students’ attitudes scales
- Students Like Learning Mathematics (Grades 4 and 8)
- Students Like Learning Science (Grades 4 and 8)
- Students Like Learning Biology (Grade 8)
- Students Like Learning Chemistry (Grade 8)
- Students Like Learning Physics (Grade 8)
- Students Like Learning Earth Science (Grade 8)
- Students Confident in Mathematics (Grades 4 and 8)
- Students Confident in Science (Grades 4 and 8)
- Students Confident in Biology (Grade 8)
- Students Confident in Chemistry (Grade 8)
- Students Confident in Physics (Grade 8)
- Students Confident in Earth Science (Grade 8)
- Students Value Mathematics (Grade 8)
- Students Value Science (Grade 8)
- Students Value Environmental Preservation (Grades 4 and 8)
- Digital Self-Efficacy (Grades 4 and 8)
- Curriculum and instruction scales
- Instructional Clarity in Mathematics Lessons (Grades 4 and 8)
- Instructional Clarity in Science Lessons (Grades 4 and 8)
- Instructional Clarity in Biology Lessons (Grade 8)
- Instructional Clarity in Chemistry Lessons (Grade 8)
- Instructional Clarity in Physics Lessons (Grade 8)
- Instructional Clarity in Earth Science Lessons (Grade 8)
- Disorderly Behavior During Mathematics Lessons (Grades 4 and 8)
- Disorderly Behavior During Science Lessons (Grades 4 and 8)
- Disorderly Behavior During Biology Lessons (Grade 8)
- Disorderly Behavior During Chemistry Lessons (Grade 8)
- Disorderly Behavior During Physics Lessons (Grade 8)
- Disorderly Behavior During Earth Science Lessons (Grade 8)
Overview of key study results
Mathematics
- 91% of fourth-grade students internationally reached at least the Low International Benchmark (400 points on the TIMSS scale) in mathematics, an indication that they demonstrated skills such as adding and subtracting up to three-digit numbers and applying basic properties of geometric shapes.
- 81% percent of eighth-grade students internationally reached at least this standard, demonstrating knowledge of integers, basic shapes, and visual representations, including finding the lengths of sides in polygons and reading information from graphs.
- Substantial percentages of students internationally also reached higher international benchmarks of mathematics achievement in both grades.
Science
- Similar percentages of fourth- and eighth-grade students reached at least the Low International Benchmarks in science.
- 90% of fourth-grade students reached at least this standard, having demonstrated knowledge of some science facts, such as basic information about plants and animals and properties of matter in everyday situations.
- 80% of eighth-grade students reached at least the Low International Benchmark, showing that they can apply knowledge of some science facts, including demonstrating understanding of ecosystems using simple models and distinguishing between physical and chemical changes.
- Substantial percentages of students internationally also reached higher international benchmarks of science achievement in both grades.
Trend
Grade 4
- For the 49 countries with comparable fourth-grade data in TIMSS 2019,
- 14 showed an increase in average mathematics achievement in TIMSS 2023,
- 13 indicated a decrease, and 22 had no change.
- Trend results are similar for these countries in science,
- where 15 showed an increase in average achievement,
- 13 exhibited a decrease, and
- 21 had no change.
Grade 8
- For the 34 countries with comparable eighth-grade data in TIMSS 2019,
- only three showed an increase in average mathematics achievement,
- 14 displayed a decrease, and
- 17 had no change.
- The results are similar in science, where again,
- only three countries showed an increase in average achievement,
- 15 indicated a decrease, and
- 16 had no change.
Context of education
- There is a clear-cut relationship between home resources, and mathematics and science achievement for fourth- and eighth-grade students internationally. Students with higher socioeconomic status or rich home resources have substantially higher achievement, on average, than students with lower home socioeconomic status or fewer resources.
- Frequent absenteeism is associated with lower mathematics and science achievement for fourth- and eighth-grade students internationally, but many students report relatively infrequent absences from school.
- On average, a little more than half of fourth-grade students (55 percent) and nearly half of eighth-grade students (46 percent) reported that they are “never or almost never” absent from school.
- Just over 10 percent of students, on average, in both grades reported being absent “at least once a week,” and these students have substantially lower average achievement in both subjects.
- Fourth- and eighth-grade students possessing more positive attitudes toward mathematics and science experience higher achievement in those subjects.
- Confidence has a strong relationship with achievement in mathematics and science for students in both grades.
- The association is likely to be reciprocal, i.e., students who perform well in these subjects become more confident, and then continue to perform well.
Sources - Report(s) of results