Austria's Schüller at TIMSS: math best values, but social differences!

Austria's Schüller at TIMSS: math best values, but social differences!

The latest results of the TIMSS study (trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) show that Austrian students in mathematics and natural sciences deliver very solid achievements. This year Austria only took part in the eighth school level and tested around 4,600 students in 157 schools. Compared to the strongest participant so far, Singapore, who scored over 600 points, local students each achieve 512 points in both subjects. This is astonishing, since according to the Kleine Zeitung The Austrian achievements in math, above all, affected by the relatively small number of weaker in the lower competence area are, while the EU average is 37 percent.

comparison with other countries

Surprisingly, Austria is in international comparison similar to the PISA study. This shows that the domestic students learn a good base in math and natural sciences. Nevertheless, educational experts warn that despite the solid achievements, the differences in the educational status and the social background of the students play a role in the results. In mathematics, pupils with low social status achieve an average of 88 points less than their wealthier classmates, such as the Zeit

The TIMSS study has also shown that the achievements of German fourth graders are stagnating. They reached 524 points in mathematics and 515 points in natural sciences. In international comparison, these values are only in midfield, while Asian nations like Singapore and Taiwan achieve significantly better results. In Germany, 25 percent of the students have not even exceeded the third level of competence, which severely limits their mathematical knowledge. The study emphasizes the need to eliminate social inequalities, since pupils with a migration background achieve an average of 70 points less than their fellow students without a history of migration.