Third International Mathematics
and Science Study (TIMSS)

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Components of TIMSS

TIMSS has many parts. All countries participating in the study are included in the student assessments, questionnaires, and curriculum analysis. Approximately half of the countries also participated in the performance assessments.

To acquire a better understanding of contextual factors contributing to achievement, NCES designed two unique additions to the TIMSS project to be carried out in Japan, Germany, and the United States. These two additions are videotape observations of mathematics instruction, and ethnographic case studies of key policy topics.

Finally, states and districts in the U.S. are being offered the opportunity to participate in TIMSS as if they were nations to understand how their students compare to those of countries throughout the world.

Student Assessments. Assessment booklets contain multiple-choice and free-response items. Students across the nations in three distinct target populations are assessed:
  • Population 1: students in the two adjacent grades containing most 9-year-olds (U.S. grades 3 and 4);
  • Population 2: students in the two adjacent grades containing most 13-year-olds (U.S. grades 7 and 8); and
  • Population 3: students enrolled in the final year of secondary school, regardless of their program of study (U.S. grade 12), as well as a special sample of calculus and physics students.

Performance Assessments. A random subsample of students in Populations 1 and 2 who took the main assessment are selected for an additional series of hands-on mathematics and science tasks. Questionnaires. Students fill out questionnaires about background factors related to achievement, including their opinions about mathematics and science. Teachers answer questions about lesson structure and context, as well as beliefs about teaching math and science. School administrators answer questions about the implemented curriculum, staffing levels, availability of resources, in-service education, and retention rates. 		Curriculum Analysis. A content analysis of science and mathematics textbooks and curriculum guides from the participating countries was begun prior to the assessments. The curriculum analysis studied the materials for their topic content and sequencing. The materials were divided into comparable units and coded for analysis. Dr. William Schmidt of Michigan State University manages this segment of the study.

Videotape Observations. Teachers from Grade 8 mathematics classes are videotaped to study what typically happens in the classroom. Observations are analyzed and a database is created for subsequent comparative analysis. This segment of the study is performed only in the United States, Japan, and Germany. Dr. James Stigler of the University of California-Los Angeles is directing this segment of the study.

Case Studies. Researchers observe and conduct in-depth interviews with a small sample of students, teachers, and administrators. Topics of study include implementation of national standards, methods of dealing with ability differences, adolescents' attitudes toward school, and the daily lives and working environment of teachers. Dr. Harold Stevenson of the University of Michigan directs this component of the study.

State TIMSS

States were offered the opportunity to assess a state-representative sample of their students at the same time as the U.S. National TIMSS study. Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota joined in this program. Individual states were responsible for all costs associated with State TIMSS.

District TIMSS

Some districts expressed an interest in receiving district-level data. Districts are being offered the opportunity to participate as the states did, paying all costs and receiving district-representative data. District TIMSS will occur in April-May 1996.

TIMSS Research Questions

  1. How do teachers in different countries teach?
  2. How do their instructional practices differ?
    How do these differences affect learning?
    What can we learn from this?
  3. What curriculum differences exist among the countries?
    What is taught and when? What is not covered?
  4. What are the different social and cultural contexts with which this learning takes place?
  5. How do these affect learning?
  6. What lessons can we learn?

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