Use and Impact of TIMSS
Bulgaria participated in TIMSS 1995, TIMSS 1999, TIMSS 2003, and TIMSS 2007 at Grade 8. After skipping the TIMSS 2011 cycle, Bulgaria participated in TIMSS 2015 at Grade 4. Bulgaria has participated in PIRLS (Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study) since its inception in 2001.
Another important study in which Bulgaria has participated every third year since 2001 is the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). PISA frameworks focus very much on the practical application of student knowledge, and study results have shown that education in Bulgaria is very much theoretically oriented with little practical application.
These international studies made it clear that mathematics and science education in Bulgaria were in need of modernization. According the international reports from these studies, the school year in Bulgaria was one of the shortest among participating countries, and the average number of hours students spent studying mathematics and science yearly was comparatively lower.
In 2015, a new law regulating preschool and school education came into effect, laying the groundwork for educational reform in Bulgaria. The law is aimed at improving the quality of school education and student outcomes, and ensuring students are well prepared when they eventually enter a competitive job market.
Bulgaria’s participation in TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA, among other international educational studies, also has allowed its education professionals to develop expertise in assessment, evaluation, educational research, and testing.