---
title: "Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study"
chunk: 2/3
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trends_in_International_Mathematics_and_Science_Study"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:22:02.285750+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

== Method, data and documentation ==
Along with the overall students' achievement data, TIMSS comprehensive assessments include data on student performance in various mathematics and science domains (algebra, geometry, biology, chemistry, etc.) and on performance in the problem solving challenges in each of these contexts. In addition, TIMSS provides contextual data on crucial curricular, instructional, and resource-related factors that can impact the teaching and learning process. These data are gathered using student, teacher, school, and curriculum (national) questionnaires filled out by students, teachers, school principals and National Research Coordinators, respectively.
According to the TIMSS 2019 Assessment Frameworks, "The TIMSS mathematics and science achievement scales were created with the first TIMSS assessment in 1995, separately for each subject and each grade. The scale units were established so that 100 points on the scale was equivalent to one standard deviation of the distribution of achievement across all of the countries that participated in TIMSS 1995, and the scale midpoint of 500 was located at the mean of this international achievement distribution. The TIMSS achievement scales were first used for reporting TIMSS results with TIMSS 1995, and all results from subsequent TIMSS assessments have been reported on the same scale metrics, making it possible to measure growth or decline in countries' achievement distributions from assessment to assessment."
Because TIMSS is administered in four-year cycles, it enables participating counties to use the results between the fourth and eighth grades to track the changes in achievement and certain background factors from an earlier study. For example, results of the fourth grade in TIMSS 1995 can be compared with the results of the eighth grade in TIMSS 1999, as fourth graders had become eighth graders in the next cycle of study.
The collected information is presented in different formats. For example, for TIMSS 2019 the results are presented as TIMSS 2019 International Results in Mathematics and Science TIMSS 2019 International Results in Mathematics and Science. The TIMSS 2019 Encyclopedia provides an overview of how mathematics and science are taught in each participating country. Methods and Procedures: TIMSS 2019 Technical Report documents the development of the TIMSS assessments and questionnaires, and describes the methods used. The TIMSS 2019 User Guide for the International Database describes the content and format of the data in the TIMSS 2019 International Database
The IEA has developed an application for working with data from TIMSS and other IEA large-scale assessments called the IEA International Database (IDB) Analyzer. This application allows researchers to combine data files and facilitates some types of statistical analysis (such as computing means, percentages, percentiles, correlations, and estimating single level multiple linear regression). The application takes into account the complex sample structure of the databases when calculating the statistics and their standard errors. It also allows researchers to estimate achievement scores and their standard errors.
For an overview of the IEA study results and interpretation of information, see IEA's Data Visualizer.

== Cycles ==

=== TIMSS 2027 Assessment ===
The official TIMSS 2027 Assessment Frameworks for mathematics and science have been released, providing a detailed blueprint for how the upcoming assessment cycle will be designed and implemented. These frameworks outline the content domains, cognitive domains, and performance expectations for participating grade levels. Compared with previous cycles, they reflect refinements in topic emphasis, updated learning progressions, and stronger alignment with contemporary curricula. In addition, the frameworks include revised contextual questionnaires for students, teachers, and school leaders, aimed at capturing richer background data on instructional practices, school environments, and learning conditions.
In the United States, the Department of Education opened a public comment period in late 2025 to solicit feedback on proposed revisions to the TIMSS 2027 international questionnaires.

=== TIMSS 2023 ===
TIMSS 2023 was the eighth cycle of TIMSS and reported overall achievement as well as results according to international benchmarks, by major content domains (number, algebra, and geometry in mathematics, and earth science, biology, and chemistry in science) and by cognitive domains (knowing, applying, reasoning). TIMSS 2023 collected detailed information about curriculum and curriculum implementation of participating countries and published this information the TIMSS 2023 Encyclopedia: Education Policy and Curriculum in Mathematics and Science.
TIMSS 2023 results are summarized in TIMSS 2023 International Results in Mathematics and Science.".This detailed report presents achievement and contextual data from participating countries and benchmarking entities. The TIMSS 2023 Encyclopedia: Education Policy and Curriculum in Mathematics and Science describes various features of the education systems in each participating country, including the mathematics and science curriculum, professional development requirements for teachers, and methods of monitoring student progress in mathematics and science. Each country's "chapter" in the encyclopedia was authored by that country's TIMSS representative.
England and other countries have analysing their TIMSS 2023 results to understand how student achievement in mathematics and science has evolved since the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In England's case, analysis published in late 2024 and updated in 2025 points to a recovery in average mathematics performance to pre-pandemic levels, as well as notable increases in science scores for both primary (Year 5) and lower secondary (Year 9) students when compared with TIMSS 2019 results. This suggests that schools and students have shown resilience following substantial interruptions to teaching and learning during the pandemic.

==== Eighth grade ====

==== Fourth grade ====

=== TIMSS 2019 ===
TIMSS 2019 marked the transition to a digital assessment format, allowing for new and innovative item types. In the digital assessment, students solved problems by interacting with shapes and patterns, arranging items on the screen, dragging and dropping items, and drawing. The digital version of TIMSS 2019 also introduced Problem Solving and Inquiry tasks that simulated real-world and laboratory situations and called for students to integrate and apply process skills and content knowledge. Half of the participating countries took the paper version of TIMSS and half of the participating countries took the digital version of TIMSS.

==== Eighth grade ====

==== Fourth grade ====