The FATIH project was the largest K-12 level ed-tech integration project in Turkey. Its aim was to enhance the quality of education by improving technology in classrooms. To determine the outcome of the project a systematic literature review was carried out and the perspectives of in-service teachers were considered. The literature was searched…

The ultimate aim of this research was to explore the contribution of teacher preparedness or readiness (in terms of their academic background, confidence in teaching science and career satisfaction) towards the achievement in science among Malaysian and Singaporean eighth-graders. The TIMSS 2011 international assessment of student achievement at…

We set out to address the question--what does it mean for educational knowledge to be 'powerful'? We compare the Anglo tradition of curriculum studies with the "Didaktik" tradition through the lens of an analysis of curriculum structure in postgraduate courses in South African universities rooted in either the Anglo or…

A wide range of reforms to improve the teaching capacities of pre-service and in-service teachers have been carried out in Kosovo. In assessing the success of these previous interventions, large-scale assessment data is invaluable. In 2019, 4754 students from 145 schools participated in the TIMSS assessment. Results reveal that student's…

The first two editions of "Finnish Lessons" described how a small Nordic nation built a school system that provided access to a world-class education for all of its young people. Now available in 30 languages, this Grawemeyer Award-winning book continues to influence education policies and school practices around the globe. In this…

We examine whether and how teachers' major fields in college affect students' achievement, exploiting within-student variation across subfields in natural science (i.e. physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth science). Using middle-school students' data from the TIMSS and controlling for student-teacher fixed effects, we find that teachers improve…

Large-scale international assessment studies such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) or Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) provide researchers and policy makers the opportunity to conduct secondary analyses to answer questions related to educational outcomes and compare the impact of certain inputs…

International comparative studies in education provide a fresh perspective on K-12 education policy by enabling countries to learn from each other's approaches. The recently conducted Teacher Education and Development Study--Mathematics provides a worldwide lens by which to examine the role of subject-matter in the preparation of US teachers of…

From the Americas to Asia, neoliberal policy restructuring continues to present major challenges to educational equity. In Hong Kong, teacher educators grapple with training students in pedagogy they believe in, versus the daily status quo of high-stakes exam prep, privatized "shadow education," and a system seemingly pushed to the brink…

This study offers curriculum developers, teachers, and science education researchers a fine-grained profile on strengths and weaknesses in specific science domains and topics. The study involved a representative sample of 3844 Norwegian pupils in grade 8. Their responses on 216 TIMSS items in 18 topics from 4 science domains were modelled in a…

Quality teaching is the most significant systemic factor contributing to student achievement. Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers are important goals for Australia as they are for all nations. Debate rages currently about criteria for selection of students into Initial Teacher Education (ITE). The Australian Tertiary Admission…

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is one of the most influential assessments of student achievement conducted every four years. It provides reliable data on mathematics and science achievements in grade 4 and grade 8 as well as information about instructional curricular and teaching-learning process. This helps to…

Innovation and ingenuity have long been hallmarks of the U.S.' economy. Our competitive strength is built on the legacy of great innovators--from Alexander Graham Bell and Lewis Latimer to the Wright brothers and Steve Jobs. The U.S. has prized its status as a leader in developing creative thinkers and entrepreneurs, but by many estimates, it is…

On international comparisons, the development of Oman's education system in terms of the increase in educational enrolment rates and in the level of teacher qualifications has been remarkably rapid. Almost 100% access to basic education has been achieved, and almost all students progress onto post-basic education. A report from the World Bank in…

Does teacher quality differ within and between countries, and how are measures of teacher quality related to instructional alignment and instructional time in mathematics? Fourth-grade classroom data from the IEA's Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015 revealed that although measures of teacher quality were only weakly related to…