What Works – Mathematics
Transforming Education Through Positive Practice
International Assessments
What is Going on Around the World
How TIMSS is used to improve
educational performance
Dr. Mike Helal
Parkville Global Advisory
December 12 2012
The Importance of International Assessments
 International assessments were designed and continue to be
managed as research projects, with the aim of answering what
we are here to explore today,
‘What works, for whom, in what context and
under what circumstances?’
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The Importance of International Assessments
 TIMSS and PIRLS provide us with measurable indicators of how
well students can read, how proficient they are in mathematics
and how knowledgeable they are in science.
 This, together with information about which factors are most
related to achievement, provide us with empirical insights into
how to improve educational outcomes for our students.
 Decades of research have proven the invaluable potential for
enhancing education by using the findings arising from these
major studies.
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How We Interpret the "Curriculum"
 TIMSS today uses the term curriculum, broadly defined, to consider how
educational opportunities are provided to students, and the factors that influence
how students use these opportunities.
– What are the students expected to learn?
– Who delivers the instruction
and how is instruction organized?
– What have students learned?
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Intended Curriculum
Implemented Curriculum
Achieved Curriculum
How we can use international assessments
 Evaluate our implemented curriculum
– How is mathematics instruction organised in our school?
– How is mathematics assessed in our school?
 Investigate our achieved curriculum
– What do our students know about the different components of
mathematics?
– What can our students do in mathematics compared to similar
students elsewhere and why?
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TIMSS and the Implemented Curriculum
 Highlights from a schooling transformation: Slovenia
TIMSS Mathematics
6
462
479
502
513
1995
2003
2007
2011
TIMSS Mathematics Content Domains
TIMSS items:
Time spent on each domain in Dubai:
Data
Display
19%
Geometric
Shapes and
Measures
24%
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Data
15%
Number
57%
Geometry
26%
Number
27%
Algebra
32%
TIMSS and the Implemented Curriculum
A Grade 4 TIMSS question:
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Evaluating our Achieved Curriculum
 Who do we want to know more about:
• Gender
• Nationality
• Schools offering same curriculum
 What do we want to know about them:
• Content and cognitive proficiency
• Distribution of student achievement
• Benchmark level descriptors
 What other outcomes are we interested in:
• Students and Parents
• Teachers and Schools
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Who
do we want to know
more about?
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Understanding the Gender Differential
“Student performance data needs to be unpacked by every different
type of student we have.”
School principal – Northampton, UK (2009)
 This Northampton school was determined to understand why the average scores
for girls were higher than those of boys at their school.
 Detailed TIMSS analysis revealed where the gender differential truly was. High
achieving boys performed better than girls. At the other end of the scale, the
opposite was found.
 Solutions driven by international assessment data:
• Differentiated support
• Whole-school numeracy drive
• Parental involvement
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Understanding the Gender Differential
Grade 4 Mathematics
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
5th
10th
25th
50th
Percentiles of Achievement
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75th
90th
95th
What
do we want to know
about them?
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The Building Blocks of Mathematical Knowledge
“Data is the starting point for target setting – you need to know what the
students are and are not capable of doing at the outset, and you need to set
targets in relation to each individual student.”
Numeracy champion – Melbourne, Australia (2012)
 At this Melbourne primary school, teachers were unsure where to start. Their
Mathematics score in TIMSS 2007 was amongst the lowest in the state.
 In collaboration with a neighbouring school, the school hired a numeracy coach
to address the issue. In 2011, their students' numeracy skills were found to be in
the country's top quartile.
 Solutions driven by international assessment data:
• Building teacher confidence in numeracy
• Professional learning communities
• Numeracy champion
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The Building Blocks of Mathematical Knowledge
Mathematical Content Domain minus Overall Math Score – Grade 8
60
Students
perform
relatively
better in
this domain
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
Korea
Singapore Finland
Number
15
United
States
England Australia
Algebra
Geometry
Dubai,
UAE
Lebanon
Qatar
Data and Chance
Saudi
Arabia
Oman
What other
outcomes are we interested in?
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Students’ Attitudes to Mathematics - Grade 4
“They were doing okay, but we found out from the student
survey that they were not enjoying it. This discovery led to the
school running professional learning to build the capacity to
teach through instructional games.”
-Curriculum coordinator, Ontario (2011)
 This Ontario school wanted to focus on an attitudinal outcome other than
achievement scores.
 Background questionnaires in TIMSS provided an ideal resource. The survey
questions allowed the school to measure and benchmark its students'
confidence, engagement and enjoyment of Mathematics.
 Solutions driving by international assessment data:
• Real-world learning
• Interdisciplinary focus
• Mathematics competitions
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Students’ Attitudes to Mathematics - Grade 8
Proportion of Students Reporting High Levels of:
60
%
50
40
30
20
10
0
Lesson Engagement
Confidence
Dubai
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Enjoyment
International average
Value
Growth Through Positivity
 The benefits of international assessments are best realised
when the analysis, research and data are fully utilised.
•
•
•
•
Understand how your students learn
Identify comparative strengths in your students' knowledge
Monitor how your students progress
Determine what affects students most
 Major positive findings from TIMSS
• Substantial progress
• Grade 4 engagement
• High expectations
 Investigate, evaluate, share and continue to revisit what works.
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Thank you
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