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Arab TIMSS 2003 Regional Report
Executive Summary
The Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2003) is the third cycle of the
international mathematics and science assessments conducted on a
four-year cycle. TIMSS assess achievement in countries all over the
world and collects a rich array of information about the educational
contexts for learning mathematics and science, with TIMSS 2003 involving
50 countries.
Following the release of the
TIMSS 2003 International Report by the International Association for the
Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), the United Nations
Development Programme decided to prepare a report on the achievements of
Arab countries in TIMSS 2003, in full coordination with the Arab
countries that participated in the study. This report aims at providing
decision-makers in these Arab countries with a comprehensive analysis of
the performance and achievements of their countries in the TIMSS 2003
study.
The Arab TIMSS 2003 Regional
Report includes the results of 10 Arab countries that participated in
TIMSS 2003 study. Eight countries participated at eighth grade level
(Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, National Palestinian Authority, Saudi
Arabia, and Syria), Morocco and Tunisia participated at both eighth and
fourth grades, while Yemen only participated at fourth grade level.
The Arab TIMSS 2003 Regional
Report includes six chapters. The first chapter covered the procedures
of the TIMSS 2003 study, its theoretical framework, objectives, tools,
field tests, and surveys. The first chapter also showed the samples of
the participating countries and the mechanisms used to choose these
samples. Moreover, it gave an idea about the participation of the Arab
countries in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
TIMSS) that started in 1995 with the participation of only one Arab
country to reach 10 Arab countries in TIMSS 2003 study.
The second chapter tackled the
average achievement in mathematics for each country in comparison with
the Arab and international averages. It also analyzed the average
achievements in accordance to a number of variables particularly
mathematical contents and gender. Moreover, it tackled the achievement
in mathematics according to international benchmarks identified by the
international organizations supervising the study.
In this chapter, the results
for eighth grade showed that the Arab average achievement in mathematics
of 393 was obtained compared to the international average of 467, and
this indicates the low Arab average in mathematics, which is due to the
low average achievement of the samples of the students of the Arab
countries against the international average.
As for the gender differences
in mathematics achievement for eighth grade, the gender difference was
negligible; however, girls outperformed boys in some countries. In
contrast, boys had higher achievements in Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco,
whereas, similar achievements were attained in Egypt, Syria, Palestine,
and Saudi Arabia.
TIMSS identified four
benchmark levels to describe what students know and can do in
mathematics, while demonstrate the range of performance internationally –
advanced, high, intermediate, and low. The results of eighth grade in
mathematics showed that only a small percentage (less than 1%) of Arab
students reached advanced international benchmark, while 45% of Arab
students did not reach the low international benchmark category.
As for fourth grade, only
three Arab countries participated, including Tunisia, Morocco, and
Yemen. The results in mathematics were worse than the ones for eighth
grade, as average achievement of 321 was obtained compared to
international achievement of 495 and the achievements of both males and
females were close. Concerning the international benchmark, the results
were worse than ones achieved for eighth grade, as 76% of Arab students
did not reach the low benchmark.
In the third chapter, the
average achievements in mathematics were linked to specific variables
related to student, curricula, teacher and school, in order to provide
data to assist educators at all levels to reach recommendations that
will help policy-makers improve educational systems in the Arab world.
Concerning the variables
related to the student, this Chapter also looked at the social and
economic background of the student and student’s aspirations, confidence
in his qualifications, educational skills, and interest in the
mathematics subject. As for the variables related to the curricula, it
included the existence of national curricula and examinations,
percentage of school time allocated for mathematics, skills covered in
mathematics curriculum, the extent to which the national mathematics
curriculum covers the mathematical skills that were measured in the
international study’s tests.
As for the variables related
to the teacher it included the requirements for enhancing and supporting
the teaching profession in mathematics, national entities concerned
with the teaching profession, as well as the academic and technical
preparations for mathematics teachers. As for school variables, they
focused on class instructions and the classes (sections) that took the
examinations of the international study, time allocated for teaching
mathematics, contents of the mathematics subject that is taught to
students, teaching methods used by teachers, the use of calculators and
computers in both teaching and learning methods, teaching strategies
used by mathematics teachers, participation of the local community and
parents in the educational process, the school climate, and safety
measures inside schools.
The fourth chapter of the
report tackled the average achievements in science for each country
in comparison to both the Arabic and international averages. Average
achievements were analyzed according to a number of variables such
as the content of the science subject and gender. The chapter also
tackled the performance in science in comparison with the international
benchmarks set by the international organizations that supervise the
study.
This chapter showed that the
Arab average achievement in science for eighth grade reached a score of
419 compared to the international performance average of 474, this
indicator reflected that the low Arab average in science. However,
Jordan is the only Arab country that scored above the international
average by one point.
As for gender differences in
science achievements for eighth graders, results indicated that Arab
girls outperformed boys. As for performance on a country level, girls
had significantly higher average achievement than boys in Bahrain,
Jordan, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. In contrast, boys obtained higher
average achievement in Morocco and Egypt, whereas no significant
difference in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.
The study’s results for eighth
grade in science showed that only a small percentage (1%) of Arab
students reached the advanced international benchmark, while (41%) of
Arab students did not reach the low international benchmark.
Tunisia, Morocco and Yemen
participated in the study at the fourth grade level in science.
Results in science for grade four were worse than the ones for eighth
grade. The Arab average achievement for this grade scored 289 in
comparison with the international average score of 489, and the
difference score between girls and boys is 7 points.
As for international
benchmarks for fourth grade, same results as eighth grades were reached,
however it was worse, as 76% of Arab students did not reach low
international benchmark.
In the fifth chapter,
achievement indicators in science were also linked to a number of
specific variables related to students, curricula, teacher and school,
in order to provide data to assist educators at all levels to reach
recommendations that will help policy-makers improve educational systems
in the Arab world.
This chapter also tackled
student’s family background (social and economic) student’s ambition,
confidence in his qualifications, educational skills, and interests in
the science subject. In addition to indicators related to curricula,
which includes the existence of national curricula and examinations,
percentage of school time allocated for the science subject, skills
covered in the science curriculum, the extent to which the national
science curriculum covers the science skills that were measured in the
international study’s tests.
As for the variables related
to the science teacher, it included the requirements for enhancing and
supporting the teaching profession in science, national entities
concerned with the teaching profession, as well as the academic and
technical preparations for science teachers. On the other hand, as for
school variables, they covered class instructions and the classes
(sections) that took the tests of the international study, time
allocated for teaching science, contents of the science subject that is
taught to students, teaching methods used by teachers, the use of
computers in both teaching and learning methods, teaching strategies
used by science teachers, participation of the local community and
parents in the educational process, the school climate, and safety
measures adopted in schools.
The sixth chapter included a
number of recommendations based on the results of the international
study. These included the following:
- General recommendations the participation of Arab countries in such studies.
- Recommendations regarding curricula
- Recommendations concerned with teaching methodologies.
- Recommendations concerned with the school climate, teaching instructions, and teaching inside schools
- Recommendations regarding teachers
Moreover, this chapter includes some annexes on the achievements of the countries that participated in TIMSS 2003 study.
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