Kazakh Ministry of Education: Pandemic and test format affected TIMSS-2023 results
The Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan responded to the Kazinform News Agency on the findings of the international TIMSS-2023, which lately showed declining indicators among schoolchildren of Kazakhstan. The study is conducted once every four years among students in grades 4 and 8.
“The assessment of students' knowledge as part of the international study TIMSS-2023 covered the period from 2019 to 2022, that is, the post-pandemic period. It involved 64 countries and six separate territories: 656,360 students in grades 4 and 8, 359,098 parents of fourth-graders, 20,802 school principals and teachers,” the response says.
The ministry highlighted that the average score of fourth-graders in Kazakhstan in mathematics was 487 points.
“Similar results were shown by students from the French part of Belgium - 489 and France - 484. The achievements of 8th grade students from Kazakhstan in mathematical training amounted to 454 points. Similar results were shown by students from Qatar - 451. At the same time, our students were ahead of their peers from Malaysia - 411,” comment noted.
In natural sciences, fourth-graders in Kazakhstan scored 467 points, ahead of Georgia (465), Armenia (457) and Saudi Arabia (428).
“Our schoolchildren were ahead of their peers from Malaysia – 426, Brazil – 420 and Saudi Arabia – 419,” authorities pointed out, with the average score 443 points among 8th-graders.
The ministry explains the overall decline in results to global factors: "Firstly, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected education worldwide. The interruption of the traditional educational process and the transition to distance learning. Secondly, the change in the format of testing in 2023. For the first time, testing was conducted in a computer format, which could also affect the results."
The department assured that based on the results of the study, a national report will be published with a detailed analysis of the situation, after which "measures will be taken to improve natural science and mathematics education."
