Use and Impact of TIMSS
Participating in TIMSS has provided insights into student knowledge and skills in mathematics and science. TIMSS data are used to identify specific strengths and weaknesses (e.g., common errors and learning difficulties) in various domains of learning for different groups of students. Insights from TIMSS are shared with mathematics and science department heads. Teachers work together to devise teaching and learning approaches that address the student learning difficulties identified by the study.
Where appropriate, TIMSS data provide the MOE with an additional source of information to inform policy and program reviews. For example, historical TIMSS data were used to investigate shifts in pedagogical practice in science before and after a system-wide implementation of an inquiry-based approach. Similarly, as TIMSS 2015 coincided with the implementation of the revised secondary mathematics curriculum for eighth grade students, data from national items in the Student and Teacher Questionnaires will be used to identify any early impact of the syllabus changes on teaching and learning in the classrooms.