Author Description

For more than 50 years, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has been conducting comparative studies of educational achievement in a number of curriculum areas, including mathematics and science. TIMSS 2011 represents the fifth cycle of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), developed by IEA. During the past two decades, TIMSS has reported on mathematics and science achievement trends at the fourth and eighth grades, providing educational policymakers, administrators, teachers, and researchers with powerful insights into how educational systems are functioning as well as critical intelligence about the possibilities for educational reform and improvement. The "TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science" presents extensive information on student performance in science, including trends over the five assessments since 1995. Also included are data on performance in the science content domains (earth science, biology, chemistry, etc.) and on competence in managing the problem solving challenges in these science contexts. In addition, the TIMSS 2011 report contains vital information on key curricular, instructional, and resource-related factors that can impact the teaching and learning process. These data on student achievement trends and the contexts for teaching and learning science will ensure that TIMSS continues to set the standard for studies of this type and be regarded as a fundamental source of information for educational policymakers, planners, and researchers alike. The following appendices are included: (1) Countries Participating in TIMSS 2011 and in Earlier TIMSS Assessments; (2) Characteristics of the Items in the TIMSS 2011 Science Assessment; (3) Population Coverage and Sample Participation Rates; (4) Percentage of Students with Achievement Too Low for Estimation; (5) Average Percent Correct in the Science Content and Cognitive Domains; (6) The Test-Curriculum Matching Analysis--Sc