International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement SCHOOL CONTEXTS FOR LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION IEA S THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY (TIMSS) Michael O. Martin Ina V.S. Mullis Eugenio J. Gonzalez Teresa A. Smith Dana L. Kelly June 1999 TIMSS TIMSS International Study Center Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
1999 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). School Contexts for Learning and Instruction, IEA s Third International Mathematics and Science Study / by Michael O. Martin, Ina V.S. Mullis, Eugenio J. Gonzalez, Teresa A. Smith, and Dana L. Kelly Publisher: TIMSS International Study Center, Boston College. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-066838 ISBN 1-889938-11-4 For more information about TIMSS contact: TIMSS International Study Center Campion Hall Lynch School of Education Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 United States For information on ordering this report, write the above address or call +1-617-552-4521. This report also is available on the World Wide Web: http://www.timss.org Funding for the international coordination of TIMSS is provided by the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the IEA, and the Canadian government. Each participating country provides funding for the national implementation of TIMSS. ii Boston College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Printed and bound in the United States.
Contents Executive Summary 1 Chapter 1: Introduction 7 Overview 7 Table 1.1: Countries Included in Report 9 Table 1.2: Information About the Grades Tested 11 TIMSS Achievement Results 13 Table 1.3: Distribution of Mathematics Achievement - Fourth Grade 15 Table 1.4: Distribution of Science Achievement - Fourth Grade 16 Table 1.5: Distributions of Mathematics Achievement - Eighth Grade 17 Table 1.6: Distributions of Science Achievement - Eighth Grade 18 Table 1.7: Distributions of Achievement in Mathematics Literacy - Final Year of Secondary School 19 Table 1.8: Distributions of Achievement in Science Literacy - Final Year of Secondary School 20 Chapter 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Schools and School Principals 21 Activities that are Primarily a School Responsibility 21 Table 2.1: Activities that Are Primarily a School Responsibility - Fourth Grade 24 Table 2.2: Activities that Are Primarily a School Responsibility - Eighth Grade 25 Table 2.3: Activities that Are Primarily a School Responsibility - Final Year of Secondary School 26 The Role of the School Principal 27 Table 2.4: Hours per Month Principal Spends on Various School-Related Activities - Fourth Grade 29 Table 2.5: Hours per Month Principal Spends on Various School-Related Activities - Eighth Grade 30 Table 2.6: Hours per Month Principal Spends on Various School-Related Activities - Final Year of Secondary School 31 Influences on School Mathematics and Science Curricula 32 Table 2.7: Various Groups and Individuals Having Some or A Lot of Influence in Determining the Curriculum Taught in the School - Fourth Grade 35 Table 2.8: Various Groups and Individuals Having Some or A Lot of Influence in Determining the Curriculum Taught in the School - Eighth Grade 36 Table 2.9: Various Groups and Individuals Having Some or A Lot of Influence in Determining the Curriculum Taught in the School - Final Year of Secondary School 37 Table 2.10: Percent of Schools Having Their Written Statement of the Mathematics and Science Curriculum to Be Taught (Other than National and Regional Guides) - Fourth Grade, Eighth Grade, and Final Year of Secondary School 38 Chapter 3: School Organization and Staffing 39 How Do Countries Organize Their Schools to Accommodate Their Student Populations? 39 Table 3.1: Percent of Students in Schools by Total School Enrollment - Fourth Grade 40 Table 3.2: Percent of Students in Schools by Total School Enrollment - Eighth Grade 41 Table 3.3: Percent of Students in Schools by Total School Enrollment - Final Year of Secondary School 42 How Do Countries Allocate Their Teaching Force? 43 Table 3.4: Total School Enrollment and Staffing - Fourth Grade 45 Table 3.5: Total School Enrollment and Staffing - Eighth Grade 46 Table 3.6: Total School Enrollment and Staffing - Final Year of Secondary School 47 iii
Which Criteria Do Schools Use in Admitting Students? 48 Table 3.7: Percent of Schools Using Various Criteria to Admit Students to School - Fourth Grade 49 Table 3.8: Percent of Schools Using Various Criteria to Admit Students to School - Eighth Grade 50 How Long Do Students Stay with the Same Teacher? 51 Table 3.9: Percent of Schools by the Number of Years Students Typically Stay with the Same Teacher - Fourth Grade 52 Table 3.10: Percent of Schools by the Number of Years Students Typically Stay with the Same Teacher - Eighth Grade 53 What Do Schools Do to Promote Cooperation and Collaboration among Teachers? 54 Table 3.11: Percent of Schools Having Policies and Practices Related to Cooperation and Collaboration Among Teachers - Fourth and Eighth Grade 55 Chapter 4: Organization for Learning Mathematics and Science 57 Do Countries Have Different Curricular Organizations Within or Across Schools to Account for Differences in Student Ability? 57 Table 4.1: Enrollments in Courses of Study in Mathematics and Science - Fourth Grade 58 Table 4.2: Enrollments in Courses of Study in Mathematics - Eighth Grade 61 Table 4.3: Enrollments in Courses of Study in Science - Eighth Grade 62 What Factors Are Involved in Deciding Students Courses of Study in Mathematics and Science? 63 Figure 4.1: Factors That Are Moderately or Very Important in Deciding Courses of Study in Mathematics - Fourth Grade 64 Figure 4.2: Factors That Are Moderately or Very Important in Deciding Courses of Study in Science - Eighth Grade 65 What Are School Policies for Students Instructional Time in Mathematics and Science? 66 Figure 4.3: Instructional Days in the School Year - Fourth and Eighth Grade 67 Figure 4.4: Amount of Time in School Scheduled for Instruction - Fourth Grade 68 Figure 4.5: Amount of Time in School Scheduled for Instruction - Eighth Grade 69 Table 4.4: Amount of Instruction in Mathematics and Science - Fourth Grade 71 Table 4.5: Amount of Instruction in Mathematics - Eighth Grade 72 Table 4.6: Amount of Instruction in Science - Eighth Grade 73 Chapter 5: School Resources 75 What Is the Availability of Computers for Teachers and Students? 75 Table 5.1: Availability of Computers in Schools for Use by Teachers and Students - Fourth Grade 77 Table 5.2: Availability of Computers in Schools for Use by Teachers and Students - Eighth Grade 78 In Which Countries Is Capacity to Provide Instruction Affected by School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies? 79 Figure 5.1: Percent of Students in Schools Reporting School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction - Fourth Grade 80 Figure 5.2: Percent of Students in Schools Reporting School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction - Eighth Grade 82 Figure 5.3: Percent of Students in Schools Reporting School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction - Final Year of Secondary School 84 iv
Chapter 6: School Atmosphere 85 What Were the Rates of Absenteeism and the Stability of the Student Bodies in the TIMSS Countries? 85 Figure 6.1: Percent of Students in Schools Reporting That At Least 5% of Students Are Absent on a Typical School Day or Leave School Before the End of the School Year - Fourth Grade 87 Figure 6.2: Percent of Students in Schools Reporting That At Least 5% of Students Are Absent on a Typical School Day or Leave School Before the End of the School Year - Eighth Grade 88 Figure 6.3: Percent of Students in Schools Reporting That At Least 5% of Students Are Absent on a Typical School Day or Leave School Before the End of the School Year - Final Year of Secondary School 89 What Types of Problems do Schools face? 90 Table 6.1: Schools Reports on Dealing with Students Problem Behaviors At Least Monthly - Fourth Grade 91 Table 6.2: Schools Reports on Dealing with Students Problem Behaviors At Least Monthly - Eighth Grade 92 Table 6.3: Schools Reports on Dealing with Students Problem Behaviors At Least Monthly - Final Year of Secondary School 93 Appendix A: TIMSS Design and Procedures A-1 Test Design A-1 Sampling A-3 Coverage of the Target Populations A-3 Table A.1: Coverage of TIMSS Target Population - Population 1 A-5 Table A.2: Coverage of TIMSS Target Population - Population 2 A-6 Table A.3: Coverage of TIMSS Target Population - Population 3 A-7 TIMSS Coverage Index for Final-Year Assessment A-8 Table A.4: Computation of TCI: Estimated Percentage of School-Leaving Age Cohort Covered by TIMSS Sample - Final Year of Secondary School A-9 School and Student Sampling and Participation Rates A-10 Table A.5: School Sample Sizes - Fourth Grade A-11 Table A.6: Student Sample Sizes - Fourth Grade A-12 Table A.7: School Sample Sizes - Eighth Grade A-13 Table A.8: Student Sample Sizes - Eighth Grade A-14 Table A.9: School Sample Sizes - Mathematics and Science Literacy - Final Year of Secondary School A-15 Table A.10: Student Sample Sizes - Mathematics and Science Literacy - Final Year of Secondary School A-16 Table A.11: Participation Rates - Fourth Grade A-17 Table A.12: Participation Rates - Eighth Grade A-18 Table A.13: Participation Rates - Mathematics and Science Literacy - Final Year of Secondary School A-19 Indicating Compliance with Sampling Guidelines A-20 Figure A.1: Countries Grouped According to Their Compliance with Guidelines for Sample Implementation and Participation Rates - Fourth Grade A-21 Figure A.2: Countries Grouped According to Their Compliance with Guidelines for Sample Implementation and Participation Rates - Eighth Grade A-22 Figure A.3: Countries Grouped According to Their Compliance with Guidelines for Sample Implementation and Participation Rates - Mathematics and Science Literacy - Final Year of Secondary School A-23 v
Data Collection Procedures A-24 Scoring the Free-Response Items A-24 Data Processing A-25 IRT Scaling and Data Analysis A-26 Estimating Sampling Error A-27 Appendix B: Supplementary Tables for Chapters 5 and 6, School Resources and Atmosphere B-1 Table B.1: School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies in Facilities and Materials that Affect General Capacity to Provide Instruction Some or A Lot - Fourth Grade B-2 Table B.2: Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction in Mathematics Some or A Lot - Fourth Grade B-3 Table B.3: Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction in Science Some or A Lot - Fourth Grade B-4 Table B.4: School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies in Facilities and Materials that Affect General Capacity to Provide Instruction Some or A Lot - Eighth Grade B-5 Table B.5: Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction in Mathematics Some or A Lot -Eighth Grade B-6 Table B.6: Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction in Science Some or A Lot - Eighth Grade B-7 Table B.7: School-Wide Shortages or Inadequacies in Facilities and Materials that Affect General Capacity to Provide Instruction Some or A Lot - Final Year of Secondary School B-8 Table B.8: Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction in Mathematics Some or A Lot - Final Year of Secondary School B-9 Table B.9: Shortages or Inadequacies that Affect Capacity to Provide Instruction in Science Some or A Lot - Final Year of Secondary School B-10 Table B.10: Percent of Students Who Are Absent on a Typical School Day - Fourth Grade B-11 Table B.11: Percent of Students Who Are Absent on a Typical School Day - Eighth Grade B-12 Table B.12: Percent of Students Who Are Absent on a Typical School Day - Final Year of Secondary School B-13 Table B.13: Percent of Students Leaving School Before the End of the School Year - Fourth Grade B-14 Table B.14: Percent of Students Leaving School Before the End of the School Year - Eighth Grade B-15 Table B.15: Percent of Students Leaving School Before the End of the School Year - Final Year of Secondary School B-16 Appendix C: Acknowledgements vi