Updating the Mathematics and Science Curricula
Nearly all the TIMSS countries have a national curriculum, with the major exceptions of Canada, Germany, and the United States. During the 20 years of TIMSS, all participants have updated these national mathematics and science curricula at the fourth and eighth grades—especially the mathematics curricula, and sometimes more than once.
As reported in the “Use and Impact of TIMSS” section of the country chapters, in a number of countries the curriculum reform was based at least partially or even wholly on TIMSS results. For example, experts in Croatia are using information from Recommendations for Improving Curricula of Mathematics Education Based on the Results of TIMSS 2011 to implement curriculum reform. In Hong Kong SAR, TIMSS research directly informed a new mathematics curriculum implemented in 1999, and TIMSS data is being used during the current review of the science curricula at the primary and junior (lower) secondary levels. Analyses of TIMSS 2011 trend results in Malaysia indicated that students were falling behind because they lacked the opportunity to develop higher order thinking skills. Revised curricula for mathematics and science at the secondary school level will be implemented in 2017.
Exhibit 5 contains the details about curriculum revision at the fourth grade. For mathematics, 1 country updated the curriculum in 1997, 8 in 2001 to 2005, 21 in 2006 to 2010, and the rest from 2011 to the present. In 27 countries, the fourth grade mathematics curricula currently are under revision. For science at the fourth grade, 1 country updated the curriculum in 1997, 8 in 2002 to 2005, 23 in 2006 to 2010, and the rest from 2011 to the present. In 28 countries, the fourth grade science curricula currently are under revision.
Exhibit 6 shows which countries have updated their mathematics and science curricula at the eighth grade. For mathematics, 1 country updated in 1989 and 1 in 1998, 6 in 2001 to 2005, 14 in 2006 to 2010, and the rest from 2011 until the present. In 22 countries, the eighth grade mathematics curricula currently are under revision. For science at the eighth grade, 2 countries updated in 1997 to 1998, 6 in 2002 to 2005, 14 in 2006 to 2010, and the rest from 2011 until the present. In 21 countries, the eighth grade science curricula currently are under revision.