Use and Impact of TIMSS
Dubai first participated in TIMSS in 2007 as a benchmarking participant. The assessment was administered at the same time that the KHDA’s Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau was conducting a qualitative evaluation of schools. The TIMSS results were shared with schools at a TIMSS conference designed for school principals and teachers. In addition, the KHDA website and various publications made the outcomes for Dubai available to the public.
The result of participation in an international assessment was a twofold recognition at a strategic level: the need for regular international assessments, and the need for all schools to be made aware of student achievement shortcomings in the areas of learning assessed within TIMSS. The Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau Inspection Handbook, used as the framework for school evaluation across all curricula (and public and private sectors), was amended to include references to international standards. In this way, schools were required to check student achievement and progress not only against the schools’ own curriculum standards, but also against international standards.14