Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS): International Accountability and Implications for Science Instruction

Abstract

International educational comparisons are relatively recent phenomena and have long been the source of international debate. Since the formation of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in the 1950s, assessments have grown increasingly more valid and reliable. TIMSS is an exemplary attempt at cross-national comparison. In trying to link results to practice, TIMSS released video studies that attempt to compare teaching methodologies employed in science in various countries. Much has been made of the TIMSS report and the pedagogy displayed in the video studies, but one question remains unanswered. What are the implications for science instruction based on cross-national comparisons? In countries such as the USA and the United Kingdom, the TIMSS reports have been the basis of much criticism of science instruction. This article explores the implications of the TIMSS reports and offers recommendations for the use of cross-national comparisons to impact classroom instruction.