Impact of TIMSS in Norway

1
Impact of TIMSS in Norway

• Presented by Anne-Berit Kavli
• Head of Documentation Department
• Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education

2
Norwegian participation

• TIMSS
• 1995
• Pop 1 Grade 3 (ca 10 yrs
• Pop 2 Grade 7 (ca 14 yrs)
• Pop 3 Grade 10 (ca 19 yrs)
• 2003
• Pop 1 Grade 4 (9.8 yrs)
• Pop 2 Grade 8 (13.8 yrs, only 7 yrs in school)
• 2007
• Pop 1 and 2.
• Norway also takes part in PIRLS and in OECD-PISA

3
TIMSS and PISA in Norway organization and
cooperation

• Organized as one group working with both projects
• National TIMSS report refers to the PISA results
  and make conclusions based on both studies
• Oral presentations and articles usually refer to
  results and analyzes from both studies
• There is good correspondence between the results
  of PISA and TIMSS (and PIRLS)
• TIMSS is valued as a good supplement to PISA
• Class oriented, gives information from teachers
• Two populations
• Together the studies give a better and more
  robust picture of the situation in Norwegian
  schools

4
TIMSS 2003 national report

• The national project group for TIMSS consisting
  of researchers in mathematics and science
  education at ILS, University of Oslo was
  responsible for for conducting the study and
  writing the national report.
• The report was aiming to be widely read by
• school authorities
• teacher educators
• teachers in school
• researchers in the field.
• The results for Norway was compared with four
  other countries to initiate discussion
• of the results
• reasons for the results
• actions for improving the school system

5
TIMSS 2003 national report

• Main findings
• In Mathematics, Norwegian pupils in the 4th and
  8th grade score lower than the international
  average
• In the Natural Sciences pupils in both grades
  achieve an average score
• The decline since 1995 has been large for both
  populations and in both subjects for Norwegian
  students
• Teachers have low competence in mathematics and
  science
• Students, teachers and school leader all complain
  about too much noise and disorder in school (more
  than in most other countries)

6
TIMSS 2003 national report

• Positive results concerning students
  achievement in mathematics and science
• Small differences between schools
• Small gender differences
• Students economical background is not an
  important factor

7
Background for choice of countries to compare
with

• Grade based samples have created difficulties in
  comparing with other countries because our pupils
  are among the youngest, and the grade 8 pupils
  have only had 7 years of formal schooling.
• Cluster analysis of TIMSS 1995 data indicated
  different traditions (groups of countries) in
  mathematics and science in school
• Nordic
• English-speaking
• East-European
• East-Asian
• European groups of countries
• We compared the Norwegian results with Japan,
  Netherlands, Slovenia and USA

8
Results in Math Grade 8
9
Changes in Math achievement Grade 8, 1995
2003
10
Average Achievement in MathematicsContent Areas
Grade 8
11
Impact in Math

• The result was very much the same in Grade 4 in
  Mathematics
• Contributed to a broad discussion about reasons
  for Norwegian students achieving low in Numbers
  compared to other countries
• Taken into account when revising the school
  curriculum more focus on basic number skills

12
Students reports on Doing Science Investigations
in Grade 8
13
Impact in Science

• Contributed to a discussion about to what extent
  scientific inquiry is emphasized in science
  lessons in Norway
• Taken into account when revising the school
  curriculum more focus on students as
  investigators/researchers in the new curriculum
• Other parts of the study showed that Norwegian
  teachers are less specialized and to a lesser
  degree take part in further education relevant to
  these subjects
• Also Norwegian teachers do not follow up the
  pupils homework to the same degree as many other
  countries

14
TIMSS and PISA 2003 Presentations and public
interest

• Discussions in media more interest than any
  time before
• General media as newspapers, TV etc
• In scientific journals and institutions
• Presentation of TIMSS and PISA results
• Department of education etc
• School administration at all levels
• Schools, from primary to upper secondary schools
• Publishers of text books for schools
• University institutes (pure mathematics and
  science, institutes with teachers education)
• In books for teachers education in pedagogy
• In other countries (e.g.. Sweden, Slovenia)
• (Capacity for the persons involved is a problem
  not lack of interest)

15
The impact of international comparative studies?

• All studies create a lot of media attention and
  have great impact on policy questions
• The results have created an important pedagogic
  debate in Norway
• Both PISA and TIMSS (and PIRLS) have shed light
  on weaknesses in our education system
• Both studies have been an important factor in
  planning national policy plans and policy actions
  
• Some critics point out that the international
  studies are not able to measure some of the
  important national goals in our school system

16
Policy actions in Norway

• Curriculum reform
• More focus on goals for learning
• More focus on teacher role, competence in subject
  knowledge and as leader
• National action plans for strengthening teaching
  in Mathematics and Science (and reading)
• New system for Quality assessment implemented in
  2004
• Changes in teachers education
• Entrance requirements
• Master degrees in education at university and
  teacher colleges
• Further education for teachers
• National strategy plan for teachers further
  education connected to the curriculum reform
• Strong focus on basic skills like Mathematics,
  Science and Reading

17

New Curriculum reform to be implemented in 2006

• Knowledge Promotion
• Clear objectives
• Pupils knowledge and skills improved
• More flexibility
• Better qualified school leaders, teachers and
  trainers
• Better awareness of achievement of objectives

18
New curricula in all subjects

• Core curriculum maintained
• Local freedom in methods of organisation ??
• Introduction of a National framework for quality
• Continuous curricula
• Clear competence goals for pupils and apprentices
• Objectives for basic skills integrated into all
  subjects