Israel

Use and Impact of TIMSS

Israel has been participating in TIMSS at the eighth grade since 1999. During this period, the curricula for mathematics and science at the primary and lower secondary levels have undergone revision and new standards have been adopted. In mathematics, the domains covered at the primary and lower secondary levels were aligned in order to generate a link between the primary and lower secondary curricula. In science, topics were reorganized to fit the designated instructional hours, and a teaching sequence was determined.

TIMSS provides valid and reliable information about the Israeli education system from an international perspective. It is of great importance to policymakers investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the education system in Israel to have an objective comparison with other education systems in the world. Furthermore, participation in these international studies allows Israel to learn about new and current approaches to teaching mathematics and science, and to examine its own curricula in relation to curricular approaches in other countries.