What can TIMSS tell us about maths in England?

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), is an international assessment run by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) that measures pupils’ maths and science attainment and enables countries to compare their results.

TIMSS 2027 is coming soon, and around 300 schools in England will take part. NFER is contracted by the Department for Education to administer the TIMSS survey in England. Dr Vivien Townsend, the NCETM’s Director for Research, Evaluation and Impact and NFER’s Dr David Thomas, the National Research Coordinator for TIMSS in England, discuss what the study measures, what we've learned from 2023, and why every pupil's voice matters. 

Understanding TIMSS

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): What is TIMSS and why is it important?

David Thomas (NFER): TIMSS is an insightful international study of maths and science education. The study takes place every four years, and targets two key educational transitions: towards the end of primary school (Year 5) and before formal qualifications (Year 9). TIMSS 2027 is the ninth such study and over 70 countries are participating. 

Every school that participates in TIMSS makes an important contribution to our understanding of mathematics and science education. The study gives pupils the opportunity to share their experiences and demonstrate what they know and can do, while helping us build a reliable picture of education across England.

By taking part, schools help provide the evidence that informs educational policy, research and support programmes. Previous TIMSS studies have helped us identify strengths in England's education system as well as areas where further improvement is needed, including addressing attainment gaps and supporting lower-attaining pupils.

David Thomas (NFER): Have TIMSS insights informed the work of the NCETM in supporting maths education?

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): When the results of TIMSS 2023 were released, my NCETM colleagues Charlie Stripp and Jen Shearman wrote a blog post to summarise what the results meant for England. International comparisons are always interesting, and this data gave us cause for celebration as English schools appeared to have recovered better from the Covid-19 pandemic than schools in many other countries.

The headline data showed that, for Year 9, England was the highest-ranking nation outside East Asia. However, a deeper analysis of data showed that 11% of pupils still scored below the lowest benchmark, and girls' attainment was significantly lower than boys'. For Year 5, the results were similar. The TIMSS data was both a cause for celebration and a stark reminder that there is still lots to do in ensuring that maths education is equitable.

How TIMSS builds a picture of maths education in England

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): I know that TIMSS is well known for publishing pupil maths and science achievement at a national level to enable comparison across countries, but it also links pupils’ achievement to their attitudes and experiences, as well as to teachers’ classroom practice. How does it do this?

David Thomas (NFER): One of TIMSS’s greatest strengths is its ability to connect achievement data with the wider educational context. Participating pupils complete short sessions of maths and science questions but there are multiple versions of the assessments so over the cohort of pupils all maths and science topics are covered. This provides an in-depth picture of what pupils can (and can’t) do well at the national level. Pupils also complete a questionnaire, covering their experience of and attitudes to maths and science lessons as well as answering questions about their school and home environments. 

TIMSS measures the performance of the whole pupil cohort, rather than individual pupils. There is no need for pupils to feel anxious about the assessment. We encourage everyone to have a go, show us what they can do, and answer honestly about their experiences of STEM education. This is how we can best gain evidence from all corners of the education system and learn about what really works.

One unique factor of TIMSS is that one maths class is selected randomly to participate (in larger schools, two classes might be chosen). The maths teacher for this class (plus science teachers of these pupils) also completes a questionnaire. This provides really valuable triangulation between maths teachers’ experience of lessons and pedagogical approaches, pupil subject performance and pupil experience. 

There are also questionnaires for headteachers on the school context, and for Year 5 parents on pre-school learning and the home environment, so this study targets a 360-degree view of STEM education. 

What TIMSS can tell us about teaching and learning

David Thomas (NFER): Do you have any examples of useful pedagogical insights that came from the previous survey? 

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): When we reviewed the 2023 TIMSS data, we were interested to see that Year 5 and Year 9 pupils in England scored higher than the average score in the ‘knowing’ domain (+6 and +3 points respectively) but lower in the ‘reasoning’ domain (-2 and -9 respectively). These findings highlight the importance of classroom approaches that support pupils to articulate, justify and refine mathematical thinking. For example, the NCETM’s Oracy in mathematics framework is a key element in our work on developing mathematical reasoning for all pupils.

And in terms of mathematics topics, both Year 5 and Year 9 pupils did best in the ‘data’ questions (+9 and +12 respectively), while ‘geometry’ was the least successful topic (-13 and -6 respectively). These findings reinforce the importance of supporting schools to develop coherent mathematics curricula and teaching approaches that enable all pupils to succeed. 

Making sure TIMSS is accessible for every pupil

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): In The Essence of Mathematics Teaching for Mastery, we set out a commitment to improving mathematics education for all pupils. Is TIMSS accessible to all pupils, including those with SEND or deemed disadvantaged, and pupils who might lack confidence or have low prior attainment?

David Thomas (NFER): It is really important for the validity of the study that as many pupils as possible are included. TIMSS allows reasonable accommodations for SEND pupils, including readers and scribes – NFER are happy to discuss access arrangements for pupils so please talk to us. There is a practice session, before the assessment, so that all pupils can become familiar with the online platform. In addition, the assessment has an adaptive element as pupils who struggle with the first part of the assessment will be presented with less challenging questions later on.

It is really important that pupils from all backgrounds and experiences take part in the questionnaire. This gives them a genuine opportunity to have a voice and reflect their educational experience and show what they are capable of. This provides unique insights that are genuinely valued across governments and can promote real change in education.

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): Yes, evidence from the previous study shows that there is a particularly ‘long tail’ of lower prior attaining pupils, and the attainment range is widening. Our Securing Foundations at Year 7 programme is one example of how the NCETM is working with Maths Hubs to support schools to meet the needs of pupils in the bottom 20-30% of the national cohort at the end of Year 6. 

Why participation in TIMSS matters

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): So, how many schools take part in TIMSS and how are they selected?

David Thomas (NFER): TIMSS is administered to a sample of around 150 primary schools and 150 secondary schools in England. The sample is carefully selected to be representative of the national distribution of school types and, inevitably, some of these schools will be working with their local Maths Hub. The selection is made independently by the international consortium to ensure that valid comparisons can be made. 

This means it is essential that the schools selected take part, so that the picture we build of STEM education in England is accurate and representative and we can identify genuine trends and make valid comparisons with other countries.

Taking part in TIMSS 2027

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): How is the assessment delivered? What impact does it have on schools? 

David Thomas (NFER): This is an online assessment, usually delivered in a classroom with access to computers. TIMSS is designed to provide an engaging experience for pupils of all abilities and reports from observers of the recent field trial agreed with this. There are two assessment sessions that take up to 45 minutes each, with the pupil questionnaire taking about 30 minutes. There are suitable breaks between sessions. To minimise the burden on schools, the assessment will be managed by NFER study administrators who will liaise with a named school coordinator. NFER provide cover costs for the time required by school coordinator.

Vivien Townsend (NCETM): So how will schools know if they have been selected to participate, and what should they do?

David Thomas (NFER): They will already have been contacted by NFER about their involvement. Schools need to reply to the email to confirm participation. 

The study will happen between 15 March and 23 April 2027 and schools will be asked to identify a date suitable to them for the study. Following that, we will be in touch to help them through every step of the process via our experienced study administrators. 

Visit the NFER TIMSS website for more information, including our data privacy notices which highlight that no identifiable pupil, teacher or school data is included in the processing or presentation of results. 

Even if a school is not selected, this is a really interesting and valuable study. Processing data from hundreds of thousands of pupils across 70+ countries takes some time, so the results will be published in December 2028. Information about the international study and how it works can be found on the TIMSS 2027 website.