University of Oslo Workshops June 29-30 Conference July 1-3 ...

Track A TIMSS - Session 2
Explaining Within-Country Differences in
Mathematics/Science Achievement
1 July
13:00-15:00
Room: AK 2136
Chair: Leslie Rutkowski
Discussant: Michael Martin
Comparing High With Low Science Performance Students in Some Variables
of Fourth Graders in Iran
Masoud Kabiri, Research Institute for Education, Tehran, Iran
Elham Shavand Gharbi, Allameh University Tababaei, Tehran, Iran
Student achievement is affected by many factors in educational context. In order to
compare students with high and low science performance in fourth grade of TIMSS 2007
in Iran, some variables were explored from students’ level background questionnaire. A
number of 449 students (197 high performance students and 252 low performance
students) was selected based on cut-off point of ±1.5 standard deviation of national science
Rasch score. Ten variables were extracted including classroom activity, science attitude,
perception of school climate, using computer, science self-confidence, home possibilities,
spending out of school time in general activities, spending out of school time in ICT
related activities, perception of being safety in school and type of school. Data was
analyzed by logistic regression. The results revealed that five variables including type of
school, using computer, science attitude, science self-confidence, and home possibilities
could differentiate effectively between high and low science performance students of
fourth grade in Iran. The findings emphasized the role of family supporting and attitudinal
variables in student achievement.
Keywords: science achievement; type of school; home possibilities; using computer;
science self-concept.
Singapore Grade 8 Students' Performance in Science by Gender in TIMSS
2007
Boey Kok Leong , Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Jaguthsing Dindyal, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
The international databases for TIMSS 2003 and TIMSS 2007 were used to analyze
gender-related data for Singapore in science at grade 8 level. In this analysis, we looked
into the overall performance in science of the students and their performance by gender
within content domains and cognitive domains at grade 8. Furthermore, we looked into
how the teacher’s gender impacted on the students’ performance using SAS. Students’
self-confidence was also examined from a gender perspective. This brief overview of the
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