User Guide for the TIMSS International Database.pdf - TIMSS and ...

C H A P T E R 7 D A T A B A S E F I L E S
7.2.2 Assessment Files
Student assessment files contain the student response data for the individual cognitive items in the
TIMSS written assessment and the performance assessment. Four student assessment files for
each country are contained in the TIMSS International Database:
· Student written assessment file - Population 1
· Student written assessment file - Population 2
· Student performance assessment file - Population 1
· Student performance assessment file - Population 2
7.2.2.1 Written Assessment Files
Students who participated in TIMSS were administered one of eight test booklets with questions
in mathematics and science. Some of these questions were multiple-choice questions and some
were open-ended. The responses to the open-ended questions were coded using a two-digit
coding system (described in Chapter 4). The written assessment data files contain the answers to
the multiple-choice questions and the codes assigned by the coders to the student responses. Since
under the TIMSS test design a student received only a fraction of the total test item pool, the
variables for the items that were not included in the version of the test that was administered to
the student are coded as not administered. The specific test booklet that was administered to the
student is coded in the variable IDBOOK. The written assessment data files also contain a series
of identification variables, sampling variables, and achievement variables. The data contained in
this file can be linked to the student background data files by using the variables IDCNTRY and
IDSTUD.
7.2.2.2 Performance Assessment Files
A subset of the students who participated in the TIMSS written assessment were also sampled to
participate in a performance assessment. These students were presented with three to four
performance assessment tasks, each of which asked them conduct some activities and respond to
a set of questions. The responses to the performance assessment tasks were also coded by trained
coders using a two-digit system. The performance assessment files contain the codes assigned by
the coders to the student responses. They also contain identification variables, sampling variables,
and achievement variables. The achievement variables included in the performance assessment
data files are those from the written assessment. The data contained in these files can be linked to
the Student Background data files and the Written Assessment data files by using the variables
IDCNTRY and IDSTUD.
7.2.2.3 Cognitive Item Variable Names
The cognitive item variable names are based on 7-digit alphanumeric codes according to the
general definitions given in Table 7.6.
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