ERIC ED445920: Mathematics and Science in the Eighth Grade: Findings from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

242 Pages·2000·3.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
SE 064 128
ED 445 920
Mathematics and Science in the Eighth Grade: Findings from
TITLE
the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.
National Center for Education Statistics (ED), Washington,
INSTITUTION
DC.
REPORT NO
NCES-2000-014
PUB DATE 2000-00-00
NOTE
247p.
ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398; Tel:
AVAILABLE FROM
1-877-4ED-Pubs. For full text: http://nces.ed.gov./timss.
Reports - Research (143)
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC10 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Academic Achievement; *Comparative Education; *Cross
DESCRIPTORS
Cultural Studies; *Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Mathematics
Achievement; Mathematics Education; Science Education;
*Teaching Methods
*Third International Mathematics and Science Study
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This report refocuses the international comparisons of
eighth-grade students' achievement with the view to highlighting the place of
the United States among the nations. A second component looks at the
performance of sections of the eighth-grade student population against the
same kind of international benchmarks. A third component picks up the
emphasis of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) on
instructional practice by developing a description of the instructional
practices of U.S. eighth-grade mathematics and science teachers. The
discussion that follows describes TIMSS as the source of the information for
these analyses and the context in which the various comparisons are made.
Chapter 2 provides an international perspective on the performance of U.S.
seventh and eighth graders. Chapter 3 looks at the performance of sections of
the U.S. eighth-grade population in the same international context. Chapter 4
provides a description of the instructional practices of those who teach
mathematics and science to these eighth-grade students. Chapter 5 discusses
observations on the findings as a whole. (Contains 215 references.)
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MIS 1999-6532
d.SCience Study
a
Finding's from the Thjr:dititeirnakona,1
dth'eniatiCs,
U.S. Department of Education
Early Childhood, International, and Crosscutting
Studies Division
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Val Plisko
Associate Commissioner
Office of Educational Research and
Improvement
International Activities Program
C. Kent McGuire
Eugene Owen
Assistant Secretary
Director
National Center for Education Statistics
Gary W. Phillips
Acting Commissioner
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data
related to education in the United States and other nations.
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and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and
specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving
their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries.
NCES activities are designed to address high priority education data needs; provide consistent, reliable, complete,
and accurate indicators of education status and trends; and report timely, useful, and high quality data to the U.S.
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Suggested Citation
U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics.
Mathematics and Science in the Eighth Grade: Findings from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study,
NCES 2000-014, Washington, DC, 2000.
For ordering information on this report, write:
U.S. Department of Education
ED Pubs
P.O. Box 1398
Jessup, MD 20794-1398
or call toll free 1-877-4ED-Pubs.
Content Contact:
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Available for downloading at hitp://nces.ed.gov/timss
Table of Contents
Page
List of Tables
viii
List of Figures
xi
List of Exhibits
xiii
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 Mathematics and Science in the Eighth Grade
Dan Levine
Introduction
I.
1
A Short History of TIMSS
3
4
Goals
International Studies of Student Achievement
II.
6
First International Mathematics Study
7
First International Science Study
8
Second International Mathematics Study
9
Second International Science Study
10
U.S. Participation in Previous International Studies
III.
12
First IAEP Study
12
Second IAEP Study
13
15
1110 T.IMSS Design
1V.
U.S. TIMSS Design, Population 2
16
Videotape Classroom Observation Study
17
Case Studies in the United States, Germany, and Japan
18
Chapter 2 Student Achievement
Trevor Williams
Leslie Jocelyn
International Perspectives on U.S. Mathematics and
I.
Science Achievement
19
International Studies of Student Achievement
19
An International Perspective on the Achievement of U.S.
Middle School Students
20
Focusing on U.S. Performan-ce
20
Where We Stand Among Nations
21
Comparing Average Students
21
A Restricted Set of Comparisons
21
7
Extending Comparisons to Forty-one Nations
24
The Distribution of Achievement
28
Comparing the Best Students
28
U.S. International Standing in Content-specific Areas of
Mathematics and Science
38
Comparisons Across Three Decades
43
IV.
Mathematics
44
Science
46
Explanations?
48
V.
Chapter 3 The Distribution of Student Achievement
Trevor Williams
Leslie Jocelyn
Population Groups
49
I.
Defining Population Groups
50
Between-group Comparisons
IL
52
Gender
52
Race/Ethnicity
52
Language
54
National Origins
54
Parental Educational Attainments
55
Family Economic Circumstance
56
Family Configuration
56
International Comparisons
58
Race/Ethnicity
58
Gender
62
National Origins
64
Language
68
Father's and Mother's Education
70
Family Economic Circumstance
74
Family Configuration
78
Benchmarking American Subpopulation Groups Against
IV.
an International Average
82
Chapter 4 Teachers and Teaching
Trevor Williams
Leslie Jocelyn
Patricia Butler
Camilla Heid
Jacqueline Haynes
Introduction
85
I.
Describing Instruction in Mathematics and Science
85
Description and Explanation
88
A Note on Sampling and Interpretation
89
Teachers, Teaching, and Achievement
91
Eighth:grade Mathematics and Science Teachers
92
II.
Demographic Characteristics
92
Education and Training
92
Experience
93
94
Knowledge
Teachers' Beliefs
96
Eighth-grade Mathematics and Science Teachers
101
102
Teachers' Working Conditions
102
Teachers' Work
103
Teacher Workload
Teaching Responsibilities
104
Nonteaching Responsibilities
106
The Profession of Teaching
108
Contextual Constraints
The Work of Teaching
115
Instructional Resources
116
IV.
Technology
116
Course Differentiation: Tracking, Remediation, and Enrichment
120
Instructional Time
125
Instructional Practices
128
V.
Lesson Planning
130
Introducing New Topics
132
Organizing and Interacting with Students
134
Classroom Activities
136
Promoting Higher Order Cognitive Processes
138
Responding to Students' Errors
138
Homework
139
Assessment
145
Mathematics and Science Instruction in the Middle School .
148
III
-
9
The Last Lesson
VI.
151
Lesson Content: Topics Covered in the Last Lesson
151
Instructional Activities During the Last Lesson
156
Learning Mathematics and Science
159
Chapter 5 Summary
Achievement and Instruction in
Eighth-Grade Mathematics and Science
161
References
165
iv
10