Excellence gaps are differences in advanced education outcomes among student groups. This study replicates and extends an earlier study on the prevalence and magnitude of excellence gaps based on student sex and immigrant status using Grade 8 TIMSS data. Data were included for the 12 countries that have participated in each TIMSS administration…

The aim of this study was to identify students' motivational beliefs in science and revealed the connections between the profiles and three cognitive dimensions of science achievement through the examination of the socio-economic status (SES) and gender covariates of the profile memberships. Latent profile analysis using science motivational…

This study capitalizes on response and process data from the computer-based TIMSS 2019 Problem Solving and Inquiry tasks to investigate gender differences in test-taking behaviors and their association with mathematics achievement at the eighth grade. Specifically, a recently proposed hierarchical speed-accuracy-revisits (SAR) model was adapted to…

Problem solving is the most important factor in mathematics learning. The results of Trends of International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Program for International Students Assessment (PISA) show Malaysian students are facing difficulties in problem solving. This study investigates the ability of foundation level students of a public…

Bullying generally has been shown to have a number of negative outcomes for student well-being. IEA's TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study) 2019 data shows that cyberbullying is correlated with traditional forms of bullying and is particularly relevant in more recent times. The relationship between the two forms of bullying is strong and…

In poor-performing, resource-constrained education systems, such as South Africa, solutions to improve academic achievement have tended to focus on resources and cognitive factors. An area that requires more attention is the importance of non-cognitive, psychosocial factors and their relationship with academic performance. These factors are…

Globally, the private school share of enrollment increased from about 14 percent in 2000 to about 18 percent in 2019. We estimate the systemic effect of private enrollment share on learning outcomes. Estimates of the systemic effect of private school enrollment capture any competitive effects as well as any differences between public and private…

Background: Comparative educational research has studied inequality in educational outcomes through large-scale assessments like PISA and TIMSS, by identifying achievement gaps within social groups (e.g., gender, parental education, and immigrant gaps) to inform investment in intervention programs and educational policies. However, the focus of…

This study examines the role of self-concept regarding mathematical ability in explaining the gender gap in advanced mathematics performance of US high school students. The study is based on data generated from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 1995-2015), a large-scale project which investigated the relationship between…

Globally girls' performance in mathematics has improved over the years as measured by TIMSS results. Inconsistency in mathematics performance of boys and girls is still an area of great concern. This study examines the relationship between mathematics achievement and gender of South African Grade 9 learners from TIMSS 2015 data. The data were…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to education, with school closures affecting over one billion children. These closures, aimed at reducing virus transmission, resulted in significant learning losses, particularly in mathematics and science. Using data from TIMSS 2023, which assesses fourth and eighth-grade achievements across 71…

Do gender parity and egalitarian values in STEM education mask institutionalised gender inequalities in STEM? This study uses student background questionnaire data from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) supplemented by national level data on gender parity in educational enrolment and female participation in the…

In the last two decades, the US has made remarkable strides in closing long-standing gender inequities in academic achievement in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. However, new data suggest these hard-won gains may be unraveling. During the COVID-19 pandemic, girls showed substantially larger declines in math and science…

According to the situated expectancy-value model, students' motivational beliefs interact and are influenced by situations. This study examined how within-person fluctuations in science-related self-concept, intrinsic value, and cost are associated over time among Helsinki elementary students (N = 538, ages 7-12). The random intercept cross-lagged…

Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study explores how teacher instruction clarity impacts Year 9 students' mathematics interest through the mediating roles of confidence and value, with a focus on gender differences. Structural equation modelling applied to the 2019 New Zealand TIMSS dataset (2,594 girls and 2,651 boys)…