Trends in Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS)

Trends in Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) are conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The IEA is an independent, international cooperative of national research institutions and governmental research agencies that conducts large-scale comparative studies of educational achievement in order to understand the effects of policies and practices within and across systems of education. It has been in operation since 1958 and has conducted more than 20 cross-national studies of achievement. The foci of its studies have been achievement in the middle primary (Year 4) and lower secondary (Year 8) with some studies also involving the final year of school.

The Australian Council for Educational Research is the Australian centre for IEA studies. It has conducted the Australian component of the TIMSS and other IEA studies including data collection and data management as well as analysis and reporting at the national level. Australia, through the Australian Council for Educational Research, has participated in the TIMSS 99 videotape study of mathematics and science teaching in Year 8 across seven countries. For Australia that study involved a random sample of 87 mathematics and 87 science lessons that provided the basis for a national and an international report. Video and transcript data from the mathematics component of this study have been added to the extensive classroom data set held at the ICCR. Data from the science component of this study will be added as soon as this is available.