A report released by ACER last night analysing the results of our Year 4 and Year 8 students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), found that in science Year 4 students made the top 10 out of 58 participating countries.
Defying predictions of pandemic-induced learning losses, primary students' performance was ‘significantly higher’ than in the previous TIMSS assessment in 2019, with the average Year 4 student moving from being able to apply knowledge using only a few scientific concepts to being a 'high performer' in 2023.
This cohort also moved Australia up the ranks in maths, with the number of countries outperforming our Year 4 students dropping to 14 from 22.
Lead report author Nicole Wernert praised the “really positive” science results for Year 4s, especially given this cohort's formative schooling years were punctured by COVID disruptions.
“Given it's the best ever result since 1995, it's definitely significant from that point of view. And particularly in science, it brought us to quite a high level compared to other countries,” she told EducationHQ.
“I think what's really key here is that we're talking about an improvement since 2019, which covers the COVID period.
“So, our teachers in schools have got a lot to be proud of, being able to get through the pandemic, come out the other side and be performing at these higher levels, either improving or holding steady at Year 8,” the ACER senior research fellow added.
ACT and NSW students performed significantly higher in science than students in Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the NT.
Meanwhile, Year 8 students achieved comparably to previous years, with the latest results similar to those in 2019.
In 2023, this cohort were outperformed by eight countries in maths and seven countries in science, out of a total of 44.
Wernert said only three countries were able to improve their results in Year 8, and the most stayed the same or went backwards.
“[Australia's] increasing percentage of low-performers at Year 8, that's actually not unexpected. We often see in NAPLAN and other large scale studies like this, that there is this widening in the variation in achievement.”
Nevertheless, this ought to be something that's addressed, she flagged.
In maths, of concern was Australian students' relatively weak grasp of foundational concepts and knowledge, the researcher said.
“Relative to the other domains, we are continuing to see that we're strong in data and data probability in both Year 4 and Year 8.
“Unfortunately, we're slightly weaker in 'number' at both year levels.
“I think number is one of those fundamentals for maths that we should be working on. So that's things like whole numbers and fractions and decimals, those sort of basic concepts in maths,” she explains.
Singapore was the clear top performer overall across both domains and age groups.
A total of 58 countries participated in the Year 4 testing and 44 in Year 8.
Australia's TIMSS rankings overall:
- Year 4 science: equal 5th (equal 9th in 2019)
- Year 4 maths: equal 15th (equal 23rd in 2019)
- Year 8 science: equal 8th (equal 7th in 2019)
- Year 8 maths: equal 9th (equal 7th in 2019)
Year 8 achievement in maths and science have stagnated, the latest TIMSS results show.
Wernert flagged the existence of a ‘disappointing’ gender gap in favour of boys’ achievement across the board in Australia’s results - the worst of all participating countries.
This is the first time that girls have lagged behind boys in both subjects and year levels since the test, which is conducted every four years, began in 1995.
It's a finding researchers have put down to the significantly higher percentage of boys being very high performers.
In Year 4 science, 20 per cent of boys were very high performers, compared with 14 per cent of girls. In maths, the figures were 17 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
In Year 8 science, 15 per cent of boys were top performers, compared with 10 per cent of girls. While in maths, 13 per cent of boys made the 'very high performers' category, but just 9 per cent of girls.
Despite the widespread media attention that has focused on our TIMSS gender gap, Wernert said it should be seen for now as a 'little warning'.
“[At Year 4] it is an improvement by our boys, whereas the girls have held steady. So they're not dropping behind. They're holding steady or improving, but not improving at the same rate as the boys...
“We're trying to work out what is going on that we've got this greater proportion of very high performer boys."
In Year 8, girls' achievement in maths and science has declined since 2019, the researcher noted.
"[We need to investigate] what's going on there. Why do we get that pattern? And, is it self-confidence? Is it a lack of interest?"
Glenn Fahey, education program director at The Centre for Independent Studies, told ABC News that in some respects, initiatives to address gender inequity in STEM and especially in maths had been "expensive and counterproductive in nature".
“What would benefit school systems most is to master foundations early in school for all students," he added.
According to Fahey, in maths Australia is performing at a 'C-plus' level on the international stage, while our science results amounted to a 'B-plus'.
Wernert said two good news stories had been so far buried in the media coverage. The first being that the NT's results have lifted significantly since 2019.
“[Year 4 Territory students] have had a massive, a really huge improvement...
“They've brought themselves right up from being one of the lowest to being running with the pack in maths and science.
“And accompanying that, we see that First Nations students have improved at a greater rate in Year 4 science.
"And, while there's still a gap, and still quite a substantial gap compared to non-First Nations students, I think it's a good news story too.”
Education Minister Jason Clare said the results show we have a ‘good’ education system but that it “can be better and fairer”.
“This is a positive result for participating students and a reflection of their hard work,” Clare said.
“It’s also a testament to the incredible work of teachers and parents across the country…
“That’s why we want to invest more money in our public schools and tie that funding to practical reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school.”
AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe has declared the results should be a 'wake-up call for the Albanese Government', and speak to the urgent need for full funding of public schools to address the entrenched disadvantage facing many children.
“...While we are pleased to see some improvements in Year 4, the stagnation in Year 8, particularly among our most disadvantaged students, is deeply concerning.”
The union suggest the data highlights the link between SES status and educational outcomes, as well as the challenges faced by regional and remote students, with children in metro areas outperforming their peers.
“This geographical divide underscores the need for increased funding to ensure that every child, regardless of their location or background, has access to quality education,” Haythorpe said.
“The evidence is clear: without increased investment in our public schools, the gap between students from low and high SES backgrounds, as well as between Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students and non-Indigenous students, will only continue to grow.
“We cannot afford to leave these students behind.”
The results come as Victoria makes moves to fortify maths education across the state's public schools, with Education Minister Ben Carroll today launching a suite of ready-to-use maths lesson plans for teachers.
Expressions of interest have also opened for four inaugural 'Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors', educators who will "promote the importance of maths to schools, students and families".
The plans support teachers to implement the state's newly-revised Teaching and Learning Model, which was updated this year to have explicit teaching at its core.
TIMSS was conducted late last year with 5,470 Year 4 students from 283 schools and 8,442 Year 8 students from 276 schools participating across the country.
Wernert said ACER was due to release another analysis report around April next year that will further unpack Australia's TIMSS results.
