Contributing Factors to TIMSS 2011 Eighth Graders’ Science Achievement: A Comparison between Malaysia and Singapore

Abstract

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is one of the projects of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), located at Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Hamburg, Germany. IEA is an independent cooperative of national educational research institutions and governmental research agencies dedicated to improving education. TIMSS is conducted regularly for every four years to assess students’ achievement in science and mathematics at both the fourth and eighth grades. The project is dedicated to providing participating countries with information to improve teaching and learning in science and mathematics. This book is written especially for the interest of undergraduate students, postgraduate students, and educators of science education who wish to know more about the contributing factors to Grade 8 students’ science achievement in TIMSS. This book is also resourceful for individuals who are involved, directly or indirectly, in the administration and implementation of TIMSS at the national, state, district, and school levels. This book consists of seven chapters. The first chapter gives a brief introduction to TIMSS which includes the TIMSS curriculum model and TIMSS science assessment frameworks. The subsequent chapters compare the contribution of various factors, i.e., home environment support, school resources, school climate, teacher preparation, and classroom instructions on Malaysian and Singaporean Grade 8 students’ science achievement in TIMSS 2011. Last but not least, recommendations on ways to improve Malaysian Grade 8 students’ science achievement in the forthcoming TIMSS are suggested based on the experiences of the Singaporean education system.