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The Department of Basic Education has presented the latest findings from the Study of Trends in International Mathematics and Sciences 2019 (TIMSS), which shows how South African students compare to the rest of the world.
The report focuses primarily on fourth and eighth grade students; however, some countries choose to administer TIMSS to a different degree.
South Africa and its benchmarking systems assessed fifth and ninth grade students to better fit their curricula and “keep measuring trends.” Therefore, South African students were, on average, older than many of the other international peers who were considered part of the TIMSS assessment.
Despite the rating advantage, the data shows that South African students scored consistently across the bottom three countries on a variety of tests.
On the TIMMS scale, students who achieve 400 TIMSS points are described as having acquired basic math or science skills. for that grade.
Grade 5
Of the 64 countries and regional entities that participated in the fourth grade TIMSS, South African students scored an average of 374 in math and 324 in science, well below the threshold of 400 “basic.”
Higher achievements mean that students have the ability to apply knowledge in simple or complex solutions and to communicate their understandings.
Just over a third (37%) of South African students demonstrated that they had acquired basic mathematical knowledge and 28% had acquired basic scientific knowledge.
This means that 63% of the students had not acquired basic mathematical knowledge. Y 72% had not acquired basic scientific knowledgethe department said.
Grade 9
Of the 39 countries that participated in the 8th grade TIMSS 2019, South Africa continued to score lower in math and science.
The South African math score of 389 and science score of 370 is an increase of 17 points for math and 12 points for science from the TIMSS 2015 report.
The department said that 41% of mathematics students demonstrated that they had acquired basic mathematical knowledge. Y 36% of science students had acquired basic scientific knowledge.
Percentage of students achieving too low to estimate
Of particular concern in the report is the number of students “achieving too low to estimate.”
Students were judged to be too low performing to estimate whether their performance on the assessment was no better than could be achieved simply by guessing on the multiple choice assessment item.
- 4th grade math: 6% scored too low (correct average was 36%)
- 4th Grade Science: 28% Scored Too Low (GPA 25%);
- Eighth grade math: 26% scored too low (19% correct average);
- Eighth Grade Science: 17% scored too low (the correct average was 25%).
Explaining some of the challenges facing the country’s education system, the department said the results can be partly explained by the unequal situation of students and their different backgrounds.
“Household conditions continue to be uneven and some households are still not conducive to learning activities,” he said.
“Students from homes that lack basic amenities, like running water and toilets, have the lowest educational outcomes. In order to increase achievement, the starting point for some students is to improve conditions at home. “
The department also noted an apparent disconnect between teacher ratings and student achievement.
“Compared to other countries, South African educators attended the largest number of professional courses. However, student achievement in math and science does not match the level of tertiary education and the scope of professional development courses that educators have attended.
“Education and training is a massive investment and the quality of this investment must be investigated and strengthened,” he said.
Read: Here are 13 new subjects planned for schools in South Africa
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