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posted by Snow on Wednesday November 30 2016, @05:49AM   Printer-friendly
from the early-burnout dept.

The results from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were released on 29 November and, in general, the results are largely the same as in prior years: namely that a group of East Asian countries (Taiwan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan) were far ahead of the rest of the world, particularly in math, on both tests administered (4th and 8th grade).

One difference: for the first time this year, the TIMSS also tracked the progress of the same set of students by giving them a third test in their last year of school. The test, called TIMSS Advanced, was given in the nine countries that agreed to participate. These results found that the scores across the three tests from the students who were taking the most challenging math and science classes in their senior year progressively got worse over time. For instance, US students who scored 29 points above the midpoint on science as 4th graders scored 13 points above as 8th graders, and ended up 63 points below midpoint in their senior year. This trend was generally the same in the other countries except for an elite group of Russian students who take an extra class of math a day, and Slovenian students who bucked the trend in science but not math.

This article from sciencemag.org notes:

The advanced students also struggled to meet the international benchmark for the tests. In math, only 2% of the 32,000 students scored at an “advanced” level, and only 43% demonstrated even a “basic knowledge” of algebra, calculus, and geometry. The results were similar in physics: Only 5% of the 24,000 students were advanced, and a total of 46% showed a basic understanding of the subject. That means more than half the students tested weren’t really performing at an advanced level.


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  • (Score: 2) by Whoever on Wednesday November 30 2016, @06:53AM

    by Whoever (4524) on Wednesday November 30 2016, @06:53AM (#434835) Journal

    My "O" level results were very mediocre.

    My "A" level results were the best in my school for that year, even as the level of effort that I put in declined. The subjects changed from rote learning to real understanding. I understood well, and I was able to handle the work very easily, even helping my fellow students with the homework.

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  • (Score: 2) by choose another one on Wednesday November 30 2016, @11:18AM

    by choose another one (515) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 30 2016, @11:18AM (#434857)

    Lot of changes between O and A levels. Choosing subjects you want to study, instead of being forced to do subjects you don't, and the others in the class are also there by choice. It is also the point where being good at schoolwork starts to become vaguely "cool" rather than something you get beaten up for.