What information will be collected and why?
Pearson UK have been commissioned to carry out the TIMSS 2027 study in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The privacy and data security of the young people and schools we work with is very important to us and no individual pupil, teacher, headteacher, or school will be identified or identifiable in any reporting.
We will collect information on what pupils have learnt about maths and science from their answers to the TIMSS assessment questions. We will also ask them contextual information, such as questions about their home life and interest in maths and science. If there are any questions pupils do not wish to answer, they may leave them blank.
We will use school, headteacher and teacher details to personalise the school study materials and correspond with schools throughout the project. We will also ask teachers and headteachers in participating schools questions about their school, teaching strategies, and the school’s learning environment.
We will ask parents/carers about themselves and the home learning environment of their children.
We do not publish the answers to any question, and no pupil, parent/carer, school, teacher or headteacher can be identified from any report or publication.
Here are examples of the type of questions which are included in the TIMSS study and the context questionnaires for pupils, teachers and schools.
Visit the TIMSS website to view examples of questions and context questionnaires used in the TIMSS study.
View context questionnaires used in the TIMSS study
How we use personal data
For the purposes of this research, the Scottish Government and its approved contractors will link the information to other information it already holds or that it is lawfully permitted to access from other sources. This is to avoid repeatedly asking participants to give us information that we already hold and to enable analysis of the longer-term benefits of early learning. Full privacy notices are available using the links below.
Full privacy notices
Read the Scottish Government’s Privacy Notice for TIMSS 2027:
