Promising Practices for School Organization of Mental Health Supports
Category: Student Well-Being
Instrument Overview
Expert Notes AvailableView expert commentary on strengths and cautions for this instrument
Strengths
Provides internationally comparable data on students’ science knowledge and achievement.
Large, representative samples allow analysis of trends over time and across countries.
Cautions
Not aligned to NGSS and three-dimensional science learning
Focuses primarily on curriculum-based knowledge, not broader scientific skills or practices
Relies on standardized test items, which may not capture all aspects of student understanding
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international large-scale assessment that measures students’ achievement in mathematics and science at Grades 4 and 8. Conducted every four years, TIMSS compares student performance across participating countries and tracks trends over time.
In science, TIMSS assesses students’ understanding of content domains (such as life, physical, and Earth science) and cognitive domains (knowing, applying, and reasoning). In addition to achievement data, TIMSS collects contextual information from students, teachers, and schools to better understand instructional practices, curriculum, and learning environments.
TIMSS is widely used by policymakers, researchers, and education systems to inform curriculum decisions, benchmark national performance internationally, and monitor long-term trends in science education.
Organization
Topic
Collection Category(ies)
Content
Grades
4th Grade,
8th Grade
Other Language/s
Varies per country
Respondent
Student
Administration Information
Length
28 items
Access and Use
Price
Not indicated
Contact
Open Access
No
Use in Research
Hanushek, E. A., Peterson, P. E., Talpey, L., & Woessmann, L. (2019). The Unwavering SES Achievement Gap: Trends in U.S. Student Performance. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3357905
Hanushek, E., Light, J., Peterson, P., Talpey, L., Woessmann, L., Broer, M., Chingos, M., Duncan, G., Ellison, G., Goldhaber, D., Klopfer, J., Mogstad, M., Murnane, R., Reback, R., Reardon, S., Shakeel, D., Singh, A., & Taber, C. (2022). FORTHCOMING: EDUCATION FINANCE AND POLICY Long-run Trends in the U.S. SES-Achievement Gap *. https://hanushek.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Hanushek%2BLight%2BPeterson%2BTalpey%2BWoessmann%20forthcoming%20EFP_0.pdf
Iqbal, S. A., & Patrinos, H. A. (2025). Learning during the pandemic: Evidence from Uzbekistan. PROSPECTS. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-025-09736-w
