How Readability Factors Are Differentially Associated With Performance for Students of Different Backgrounds When Solving Mathematics Word Problems

The present study aimed to examine the relations of early numeracy activities and skills to mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement among 26,859 fourth graders in the United Arab Emirates who took part in the sixth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2015. The study also explored the mediating effects of mathematics dispositions and engagement on the relations between early numeracy activities and skills and mathematics achievement among these fourth graders. Results of path analyses, after controlling for participants’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, indicated that early numeracy activities and skills were significantly and positively related to mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement. Further, results of mediational analyses suggested that confidence in mathematics had a significant mediating effect on the relations between early numeracy activities and skills and mathematics achievement. The findings of the study highlight the crucial role that early numeracy activities and skills play in enhancing fourth graders’ mathematics dispositions, engagement, and achievement in the United Arab Emirates.

Predecessor items and performance level

This study presents the relationship between students' attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data. The target population is grade 8 UAE students, and the sample consisted of 22,334 eighth-grade students. The researcher used the variables "like learning mathematics," "confident in mathematics," and "value mathematics" to represent the independent variable, students' attitudes toward mathematics. The dependent variable, achievement in mathematics, contains four content domains (algebra, geometry, data probability, and numbers) and three cognitive domains (knowing, applying, and reasoning). After conducting regression analysis, the researcher found a positive relationship between students' attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics achievement. Both confidence in mathematics and valuing mathematics significantly predict mathematics achievement, while there is no significant relationship between liking to learn mathematics and mathematics achievement. The study recommends using instructional strategies to improve students’ attitudes toward mathematics, such as constructive feedback and solving real-world problems. Keywords: attitudes toward mathematics, mathematics achievement, grade 8, TIMSS.

Extant literature has demonstrated the importance of individual and school-related factors in improving mathematics achievement. Despite this, there is still a gap in research to understand the mediating role of educational aspiration in mathematics achievement. The aim of the present study is to test the relationship between self-efficacy, school resources, positive school climate and mathematics achievement as mediated by learner aspirations. Using a nationally representative sample of 12,514 learners from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and structural equation modelling, we determined the model fit of a mediated relationship between self-efficacy, school resources, positive school climate and mathematics achievement. Findings from the structural equation modelling in addition to good fit indices revealed that self-efficacy, learner aspiration and school resources were positively related to mathematics achievement. However, there was an unexpected negative relationship between positive school climate and achievement. Learner educational aspirations mediated the relationship between positive self-efficacy, positive school climate with achievement. In order to improve educational achievement, interventions must include both the school and individual factors where interactions between positive self-efficacy and aspirations contribute to improved learner achievement.

Recent work on differences in mathematics achievement has highlighted the importance of classroom, teacher and school factors. The present study used data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to look at student, classroom and school factors influencing mathematics achievement in Australia and the United States (US). It found that classroom differences account for about one-third of the variation in student achievement in the US and over one-quarter in Australia. Most of the classroom variation in both countries was due to compositional and organisational factors, very little of it due to differences between teachers. This has important implications for policy regarding the improvement of mathematics achievement. It suggests that school systems may gain little by targeting teachers only, and need to give consideration to the role of pupil grouping practices and the effects of tracking and streaming on classroom learning environments.

This article compares the effects of family background and school resources on fourth-grade students’ math achievement, using data from the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In order to ameliorate potential floor effects, it uses relative risk and population attributable risk to examine the effects of family background and low levels of school resources. Four findings stand out: (1) the percentage of vulnerable students decreases as GDP increases, but this relationship weakens at higher levels of GDP; (2) the relative risk associated with low socioeconomic status is positively related to GDP, but the relative risk associated with low school resources is unrelated to GDP; (3) the population attributable risk associated with some of the family and school risk factors tends to fall with rising GDP, but varies considerably amongst countries; and (4) family background effects are stronger than school resource effects in low- and high-income countries.

ABSTRACT: This paper analyzed elementary TED (Teacher Education) programs in the top performing TIMSS ( Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ) Asian, i.e. Japan, South Korea, and Singapore countries to explore how much emphasis should be placed on general content knowledge, versus general pedagogical knowledge, and versus methodological pedagogical knowledge. Three theoretical frames of reference were analyzed during this process: whether the programs were consecutive or concurrent; the model of partnership followed between universities and field experience institutions; and the overall status of teachers in the society as categorized by position-based or career-based. Methodologically, only peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2018 was used. It was found that the top performing Asian TIMSS countries usually: have consecutive and concurrent options; provide very intensive TED experiences to their students focusing on diverse and practical field experiences; place more emphasis on academic subject expertise than pedagogy; require students to major in at least one academic subject; have national accreditation institutes for unifying standards; their sponsor countries enforce various types of induction and professional development once in the field; offer salaries competitive with other professions that require the same amount of years and training; and, most importantly, only accept the top academic achievers into their programs. One of the recommendations is that since Saudi Arabia has just initiated “Vision 2030”, a sort of privatization schema for the entire economy, it seems higher selection criteria will be critical to TED in line with this national vision. KEY WORDS: Teacher Education; Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ; Asian Countries; Comparative Study. About the Author: Dr. Mohammed Sabrin is an Assistant Professor at the College of Education, Taibah University, Office SB-29, College of Education Building B-13, Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail: msabrin@taibahu.edu.sa Suggested Citation: Sabrin, Mohammed. (2018). “A Comparative Policy Analysis of Elementary Teacher Education in the Top Performing Asian TIMSS Countries” in EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies , Volume 11(1), August, pp.1-16. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI with ISSN 1979-7877 (print) and ISSN 2621-587X (online). A rticle Timeline : Accepted (February 17, 2018); Revised (May 2, 2018); and Published (August 30, 2018).

Education systems can be conceptualized as the scaffolding that supports the construction and development of student competences. Among other things, the size, location, and learning resources of schools can affect how efficient that system is at delivering the required support. Data from international large-scale assessments have indicated that the resources of rural schools may differ from those of urban schools; students in schools in urban and more economically developed environments often demonstrate higher achievement. Data from IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 from across the Dinaric region provides information on variations in the size of schools and allocation, student achievement, and the different kinds of scaffolding/support for learning in urban and rural schools. Secondary analyses of the TIMSS 2019 data for the Dinaric region, taking into account home and school factors, show that the types of support available for student learning differed between urban and rural schools. The findings suggest that policymakers should focus on improving the learning resources available to rural schools across the region, particularly in response to their lack of technological resources for developing students’ digital competencies. Concomitant investment is required for the development of teachers’ competencies for the effective use of such educational resources. Educators need to compensate for lack of family support for some students; in such situations, schools need to enhance the scaffolding for learning available to children.KeywordsAchievement gapGrade fourLocation of schoolScaffoldingTrends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)

South African learner achievement remains poor, despite large investment in schooling over the last two decades. Literature and research findings offer no single explanation or solution. In this article, the authors explored the relative contribution of specific language factors such as the role of home- and school-language equivalence, cultural and economic capital, and other school and classroom factors to Science achievement. The analysis identified specific language and/or contextual factors having the biggest influence on learner achievement. This was achieved through secondary analysis of South African Grade Nine (N = 12,000) data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011. Multiple-regression modelling using contextual and achievement data suggested that home- and school-language equivalence and how frequently learners used the school language at home were strongly associated with the Science achievement results of Grade Nine learners in South Africa. Several other language factors that could be seen as cultural capital, beyond broader economic capital, some classroom-related contextual conditions and selected school-level factors, also showed strong influences. It is concluded that language, teacher training, and broader economic policy changes and their thorough implementation are required to address these concerns.

This study provides a comparison of the results of latent class analysis (LCA) and mixture Rasch model (MRM) analysis using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study – 2011 (TIMSS-2011) with a focus on the 8th-grade mathematics section. The research study focuses on the comparison of LCA and MRM to determine if results obtained differ when the assumed psychometric model differs. Also, a log-linear analysis was conducted to understand the interactions between latent classes identified by LCA and MRM. Response data to the three booklets were used to run latent class analysis using Mplus 7.31 (Muthén & Muthén, 2012a) for LCA and WINMIRA (von Davier, 2001a). The findings of this paper do not reveal unequivocally whether a model based on primarily qualitative differences (LCA), that is, different strategies, instructional differences, curriculum etc. or a model including additional factors of quantitative differences within strategies (MRM) should be used with this particular dataset. Both of the tests provided similar results with more or less similar interpretations. Both techniques fit the data similarly, a result found in prior research. Nonetheless, for tests similar to TIMSS exams, item difficulty parameters can be useful for educational researchers giving potential priority to use of MRM.

The author examined the simultaneous influence of Japanese middle school student and school socioeconomic status (SES) on student math achievement with two-level multilevel analysis models by utilizing the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Japan data sets. The theoretical framework used in this study was Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner and Morris 1998). The data sets contained 4,856 students from 146 public and private middle schools. The results indicated that at the student level, different aspects of student SES (i.e., number of books, the possession of computers, paternal, and maternal educational achievements) were positively related to Japanese student math achievement. At the school level, two aspects of school SES (i.e., less populated schools and economically disadvantaged schools) were negatively related to Japanese student math achievement. None of the cross-level interactions were significant, but the random effect for the computer slope was significant. Although this study found both student and school SES effects on student achievement, the proportional reduction of prediction error explained by both student and school SES were was small, meaning the residual variances at student and school levels did not capture the majority of variance explained by math achievement. The implications of theoretical framework and educational policy are discussed.

This study aims to shed light on the association between private tutoring and academic achievement in mathematics among primary school students in Qatar. Utilizing data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019, we employ a propensity score technique to elucidate the disparities in mathematics achievement levels between two distinct groups: students who receive private tutoring and those who do not. Our findings indicate that students who engage in private tutoring have lower odds of attaining higher achievement scores in mathematics. .

Poor mathematics performance was generally reported from international assessments such as Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) among Malaysian students. Malaysia is ranked 52nd and 48th in the assessments for 2012 and 2018 respectively, while Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and even Vietnam have consistently performed well and held the top spots among the 78 countries evaluated in the PISA. Although numerous new technologies have been introduced, developed and implemented for education, incorporation of IT capability (ITC) to teach and learn Mathematics where still lacking commonly. Additionally, learning Mathematics in the traditional teaching contents could not accomplish desired learning outcomes because of dry contents and dull teachers. Therefore, this study is to design an appropriate ITC framework for improving learning experience and academic achievement of learning Mathematics. This study has adopted the development model of Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) and Mayer (2010)’s cognitive theory for multimedia instructional content design. This study developed a new Multimedia Probability and Statistics system (MMPASS) for a subject of Probability and Statistics. The developed topics were concepts of discrete random variables and probability distribution function which were puzzled by students from preliminary study. An experiment was conducted with both control and experimental groups. The developed MMPASS blended multiple influential multimedia elements in the learning contents. A quantitative method and proportional stratified sampling were used to collect data. The blended topics were used by the experimental group whilst the control group was solely learning using the existing learning contents. Questionnaires were distributed to both groups after the lessons. 66 students participated in this survey. The collected data was then analysed and an ITC model was formed. Results of this study show that Perceived System Quality, Perceived Information Content Quality and Perceived System Performance as independent variables significantly improved learning experience. The findings also reveal that the performances of the experimental group have a higher mean score (9.65/10.00) compared to the control group (8.03/10.00), indicating the use of MMPASS improved students’ learning performance in subjects that involve understanding of concepts. While there is a lack of established ITC framework and IT application for Mathematics education in Malaysia, this study has verified the use of ITC improving performance of learning Mathematics in Malaysia.

Purpose: Few studies have examined the role of inclusivity in international assessments of student achievement, such as the TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). The current study examined how the inclusivity of students with disabilities at the classroom level across countries may be associated with achievement scores, thus affecting national rankings. Method: To achieve this purpose, TIMSS mathematics and science achievement data were utilized. Findings: Results revealed how national rankings may be adjusted after examining the role of inclusivity in the classroom while statistically controlling for national economic and well-being indicators. Limitations: In terms of international comparisons, a country's history and culture can be critical in understanding its educational system and how it relates to the observed outcomes. The variables that we included in this study are quantified indicators that may reflect only some facets of each country's education system and special education inclusivity. Practical Implications: This study provides an overview of the measurement issues of children with disabilities within schools from the international context of the TIMSS while exploring the impact of student participation on rankings. Social Implications: The current study provides an empirical investigation of how country rankings in international assessment can move according to sociopolitical decisions. Originality: The current study is the first of its kind to examine the impact of inclusivity in the classroom on country rankings in international assessments.

This chapter begins with a description of the IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) sampling framework. The research study was based on data from three cycles of TIMSS collected at grades four and eight from 12 jurisdictions (Australia, England, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Norway, Ontario, Quebec, Singapore, Slovenia, and the USA) that participated at both grades in 1995, 2007, and 2015. The motivation variables available in each cycle of administration are outlined, together with how conceptually similar measures for value, enjoyment, and self-confidence in mathematics were constructed; descriptions of demographic and achievement measures used in the analysis are also provided. Two-step cluster analysis was used to create separate profiles of student motivation for each set of data. The characteristics of each motivational cluster were evaluated to ascertain whether differences in cluster membership were related to student background variables (such as sex, time on homework, parental education, and home resources) and mathematics achievement.