TIMSS 2019: gender, performance and attitudes towards learning in mathematics and science – some implications for schools
UCL IOE TIMSS team
UCL IOE led the research and analysis for TIMSS 2019 and is doing so again for TIMSS 2023; as a research team we are interested in the experiences of the test takers, and central to our explorations of the TIMSS19 data was performance in the tests and how this differed according to the gender of participants. An equally important feature was exploring by gender the ‘voice’ of participating pupils articulated through survey questionnaires, and their attitudes towards learning in mathematics and science. Like many studies, TIMSS avoids the terms sex and gender, and offers ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ (here, we use ‘girls’ and ‘boys’).
TIMSS data helps us to understand more about the things that primary and secondary schools do well in teaching mathematics and science, but there are persistent concerns about how the attitudes of boys and girls differ and how this can influence both performance in assessments and later participation. Schools have an important role to play in supporting all students with teaching and learning in STEM subjects, and this blog suggests how schools might use TIMSS findings to (a) understand pupils and their performance and (b) observe/note attitudes to successfully develop and sustain learning in mathematics and science.
What TIMSS tells schools about pupil performance and gender
The TIMSS 2019 National Report for England reveals that both girls and boys performed, on average, significantly1 above the TIMSS centre point (500) in mathematics and science in both years 5 and 9, and across almost all content areas. However, gender differences emerged in response to the pupil questionnaires asking about confidence in mathematics and science and whether they valued the subjects. Perhaps unsurprisingly, confidence is associated with enjoyment of the subject, and both tend to increase somewhat with performance. However, TIMSS 2019 found an important gender difference in this regard: girls were significantly less confident and liked STEM subjects less (across all ages and subjects) than their male peers, despite having comparable performance. So, how can schools address the related issues?
The performance of girls and boys is globally quite similar; TIMSS is an international test cycle and data analysis comprises a review of how ‘comparator countries’ (a sample of English speaking2 and similar European countries ) compare with one another. As Figure 1 below shows, when examining gender and performance in mathematics, that there was no statistically significant difference between the average scores of year 5 boys and girls in mathematics in England.
Figure 1: Average attainment in mathematics at Y5 and Y9 by gender (England)
Source: NPD and TIMSS 2019
These results contrast with 2015 when, on average, boys somewhat outperformed girls but not significantly; in year 9, the boys’ average score was comparable with the girls’, as in 2015.
In science (see Figure 2 below) the picture is similar: both girls and boys performed similarly at year 5, and at year 9, girls did a little better than boys. In England, then, gender seems to have little impact on pupil achievement. It is interesting to note that in two comparator countries, Finland and Sweden, the picture is very different: across year groups and subjects, girls performed significantly higher than boys.
Figure 2: Average attainment in science at Y5 and Y9 by gender (England)
Source: NPD and TIMSS 2019
Pupils in year 9 (only) in England were asked a range of questions indicating how much they value maths and science (see Figures 3 and 4). Their perceived value for subjects has quite a strong association with their performance, an unsurprising but important reflection of the focus on high-stakes qualifications such as GCSEs, which are on their academic horizon by year 9. Across both subjects, it was always boys who more strongly value mathematics and science, seeing them as central to future employment success. Similarly, boys were much more likely than girls to report liking learning mathematics and science – except for year 9 science, where girls were more likely to enjoy learning.
Figure 3: Y9 valuing of mathematics
Figure 4: Y9 valuing of science
TIMSS also highlights an important association of confidence to succeed in mathematics or science with performance, that differs by gender. As Figures 5 and 6 (below) show, at year 9, in mathematics, significantly more boys were very confident in comparison to girls (18% compared to 10%), while significantly more girls were not confident (44% compared to 30%). In science, significantly more boys than girls were very confident (18% compared to 12%), while significantly more girls were not confident (52% compared to 42%).
Figure 5: Y9 confidence in ability to succeed: mathematics
Figure 6: confidence in ability to succeed: science
Attitudes to successfully develop and sustain learning in mathematics and science
Perhaps the most striking data which emerged from the TIMSS data is that despite not necessarily liking or valuing science and mathematics, and feeling less confident about their abilities, girls still performed at least as well as boys, overall. These findings are potentially very useful in terms of thinking about how both subjects are presented not only as a part of school curricula but also as integral to future employment and/or study aspirations.
Schools and teachers recognise that those characteristics of valuing, enjoying and confidence will support success in mathematics and science, and are highly influential when it comes to choosing to continue studying STEM post-16, so it’s vital they are nurtured across gender. TIMSS 2019 is a timely reminder to schools that whilst national campaigns such as Women in STEM and Stem Learning in England are focused on encouraging girls to engage with mathematics and science, and to select science/maths qualifications and/or courses of study, there are still barriers that prevent very capable girls from feeling that they are adept learners in these subjects. The importance of identifying and dismantling the barriers that affect how girls feel about STEM subjects is something to be addressed by schools because as recent research from the United Nations explains, simple changes such as including female role models, challenging gender bias and discussing stereotyping in STEM careers will all lead to better opportunities for girls. There are of course, a wide range of variables that might impact how pupils feel about different subjects but acknowledging the challenges and having powerful evidence such as TIMSS survey data, will help to develop strategies for teaching and learning which, coupled with an inspiring curriculum, will capture pupils’ imaginations and eventually may result in significant change.
1Where the term ‘significant’ is used this refers to statistical significance.
2Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, United States
3Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden)