Opinions of the 8th Grade Students and Teachers Who Participated in TIMSS 2015 on the Test: “The Example of Ağri”

Abstract

TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), is an international serway study that was held to evaluate the 4 th and 8 th grade students’ knowledge and their skills in mathematics and science at four-year intervals by International Educational Assessment Agency IEA Success (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement). In our country TURKEY, the TIMSS studies are conducted by Ministry of National Education (MoNE) Measurement, Evaluation and Examinations Services. Shortly Timss is defined as the researches of international science and mathematics educations. This survey study is conducted by the International Sudy center in BostonCollege- TIMSS PIRLS. The research to which many country across the globe has participated is a project which affects the education policies of the participatory countries. The aim of this study is to bring out the opinions of the 8th grade students who attended timss 2015 and teachers about the exam. This study has been conducted under case study approach. Case study method offers opportunities only in the case of searching the subject in depth but holistically within the context. M oreover the case study method is suitable to design and analyse for both quantitative and qualitative researches. The study was conducted with 24 students studying in the relevant class of a secondary school of Agri province centre where the exam is held and 6 teachers who give science and mathematic lectures in this school and at the same time participated in TIMSS activity as controllers. The data were collected through a queationnare prepared by the researchers. The data obtained from the study were subjected to descriptive and content analysis. In the study analysis were presented seperately as descriptive analyse and content analyse. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the students havent adequately prepared for the timss exam due to teog exams, the questions were hermeneutical rather than requiring knowledge and awareness level of the the teachers are low