TIMMS Advanced 2015 Assessment Frameworks
Author: Mullis, Ina V. S., Ed.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mathematics Tests,Science Tests,Educational Assessment,Secondary School Students,Science Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Physics,International Programs,Testing Programs,Educational Trends,Educational Policy,Questionnaires,Test Construction,Educational Environment,Social Environment,Classroom Environment,Test Format,Scoring

It is critical for countries to ensure that capable secondary school students receive further preparation in advanced mathematics and science, so that they are ready to enter challenging university-level studies that prepare them for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This group of students will become the next generation of scientists and engineers who will drive innovation and technological development in all sectors of the economy; thus, it is important for countries to understand the mathematics and science achievement of these students as they begin their university-level education. First conducted in 1995, and then again in 2008, TIMSS Advanced is the only international assessment that targets this specific group of students and provides essential information about their advanced mathematics and physics achievement. TIMSS Advanced assesses these students in their final year of secondary school or, as an option offered in 2015 for the first time, at the start of their STEM coursework in universities. Each country that participates in TIMSS Advanced 2015 gains valuable information on the following: (1) The numbers of students and the proportion of the overall student population who are participating in advanced mathematics and physics study at the end of secondary school; (2) The achievement of these students based on international benchmarks (advanced, high, and intermediate); and (3) A rich set of contextual data on curricula, teaching and learning strategies, teacher preparation, school resources, and student preparation and attitudes that can be used to guide education reform and policy planning in STEM fields. Thus, countries that participate in TIMSS Advanced 2015 can obtain data to help them understand how successful they are at preparing the future generation of scientists and engineers, and what policies can be implemented to support and expand the pipeline of students who enter STEM careers. TIMSS Advanced 2015 provides countries that participated in the prior assessments in 1995 and 2008 the opportunity to continue the trend line that shows achievement in advanced mathematics and physics over time. In conjunction with the collection of advanced mathematics and physics achievement data, TIMSS Advanced 2015 also will collect an array of contextual data from curriculum specialists, school principals, mathematics and physics teachers, and the students themselves in each participating country. These data include the following: (1) Organization of the advanced mathematics and physics curriculum; (2) Topics actually taught; (3) Teacher qualifications and experience; (4) Classroom instructional strategies, including technology use; (5) School resources; (6) Amount of instructional time; (7) School environment and climate for learning; (8) Students' homework and out-of-school activities; (9) Home educational supports, including information and communications technology (ICT); and (10) Students' attitudes and aspirations toward STEM-related careers. This extensive set of TIMSS Advanced 2015 contextual data can be used to evaluate current educational policies and instructional strategies, and shape them to improve enrollment and achievement in the advanced secondary school courses required to prepare students for university study in STEM fields. The introduction was written by Ina V. S. Mullis. Chapter 1, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Mathematics Framework (Liv Sissel Grønmo, Mary Lindquist, and Alka Arora) contains the framework for the advanced mathematics assessment. Chapter 2, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Physics Framework,(Lee R. Jones, Gerald Wheeler, and Victoria A.S. Centurino) contains the framework for the physics assessment. Chapter 3, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Context Questionnaire Framework (Martin Hooper, Ina V.S. Mullis, and Michael O. Martin) contains the TIMSS Advanced Contextual Framework describing the types of learning situations and factors associated with students' achievement in advanced mathematics and physics that will be investigated via the questionnaire data. Finally, Chapter 4, TIMSS Advanced 2015 Assessment Design (Michael O. Martin, Ina V.S. Mullis, and Pierre Foy) provides an overview of the 2015 Assessment Design, including general guidelines for item development. For TIMSS Advanced 2015, the advanced mathematics and physics frameworks were updated to better reflect the curricula, standards, and frameworks of the participating countries. The following are appended: (1) Acknowledgements; (2) Example Mathematics Items; (3) Example Physics Items.