International large-scale assessments (ILSA) are an important source of information for education policymakers across the globe. Despite sponsors' warnings, when results are published, media attention focuses on country rankings and changes in scores. Score changes are evaluated using a two-sided z-statistic, with statistical significance declared…

Science scores among US fourth-grade students have declined compared to their international counterparts in recent years. Recent results show that teachers are the most impactful influence on student success and accountability. Teacher preparedness and professional development are two key areas that serve as indicators of providing relevant and…

This paper extends existing work on teacher weighting in student-centered surveys by looking into aspects of practical implementation of deriving and using weights for teacher-centered analysis in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). The formal…

This study aims to demonstrate the optimal way to determine the cut-off score to be used to interpret the total scores obtained from an achievement test or scale using the Artificial Neural Networks method. To this end, the multiple-choice item responses in the Booklet-11 Mathematics subtest at the 8th grade level in the TIMSS 2015 Turkey sample…

In this study, in line with TIMSS 2019 data, 8th grade students' school engagement in the Turkish education system and various variables in the field of science and mathematics, which are thought to be related to school engagement, were examined with the Random Forest method, a method amongst data mining methods. This research focuses on student…

This paper introduces an approach that uses latent class analysis to identify cut scores (LCA-CS) and categorize respondents based on context scales derived from largescale assessments like PIRLS, TIMSS, and NAEP. Context scales use Likert scale items to measure latent constructs of interest and classify respondents into meaningful ordered…

The aim of this study is to examine whether or not the positive and negative items in the Mathematical Self-Confidence Scale employed in TIMSS 2015 lead to wording effect. While examining whether the expression effect is present or not, analyzes were conducted both on the general sample and on a separate sample for female and male students. To…

The aim of the study is to compare TIMSS 2011 proficiency levels with the proficiency levels defined by the researchers using cluster analysis for Turkey, Korean, Norway, and Morocco in 4th and 8 th grades in the fields of science and mathematics. Therefore, it is tried to be reached that these cut-off scores for each country can serve the…

Questionnaire scales that are mixed-worded, i.e. include both positively and negatively worded items, often suffer from issues like low reliability and more complex latent structures than intended. Part of the problem might be that some responders fail to respond consistently to the mixed-worded items. We investigated the prevalence and impact of…

Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study Data (TIMSS) 2015 dataset, this study examines 30 different contextual indicators to determine significant predictors of girls' mathematics achievement globally. The study design employs three nested levels in the hierarchical linear model (individual, classroom, and nation) to…

This study analyzed the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2011 data on fourth-grade U.S. students' mathematics performance to answer four research questions: (a) How did U.S. students' geometry performance compare with their performance on the other mathematics subscales? (b) What were the patterns of student achievement among…

This study aims to compare the performance of different small sample equating methods in the presence and absence of differential item functioning (DIF) in common items. In this research, Tucker linear equating, Levine linear equating, unsmoothed and pre-smoothed (C=4) chained equipercentile equating, and simplified circle arc equating methods…

Problem Statement: Equating can be defined as a statistical process that allows modifying the differences between test forms with similar content and difficulty so that the scores obtained from these forms can be used interchangeably. In the literature, there are many equating methods, one of which is Kernel equating. Trends in International…

This article is a response to an article written by Wang and Ma "An Examination of Plausible Score Correlation from the Trend in Mathematics and Science Study", published in the Athens Journal of Education. The purpose of this paper is to address issues with Wang's and Ma's suggestion to use analysis method for correlating plausible…

Measurement invariance is crucial for making valid comparisons across different groups (Kline, 2016; Vandenberg, 2002). To address the challenges associated with invariance testing such as large sample size requirements, the complexity of the model, etc., applied researchers have incorporated parcels. Parcels have been shown to alleviate skewness,…