Instructional Emphasis in Mathematics and Science
Almost all the TIMSS 2015 participants reported having official documents guiding the curriculum for preprimary education programs for children age 3 or older, such as kindergarten, and these guidelines included mathematics and often science (Exhibit 4).
Based on the countries’ reports, about one-fourth to one-third of the available instructional time in primary and lower secondary schools is devoted to mathematics and science education combined, with some shift from more emphasis on mathematics than science in primary schools to more emphasis on science than mathematics in lower secondary schools. Exhibits 9 and 10 contain countries’ reports about the time devoted to the mathematics and science curricula at the fourth and eighth grades, respectively. At fourth grade, typically 15 percent to 20 percent of instructional time is allocated to mathematics instruction, and approximately 5 percent to 10 percent (although it varies considerably) to science education. At eighth grade, typically 10 percent to 15 percent of instructional time is allocated to mathematics instruction, and 15 percent to 25 percent (although with wide variation) to science education.