U.S. 4th-graders outperformed students in more countries in life science and physical science than they did in earth science. U.S. 8th-graders outperformed students in more countries in biology and earth science than they did in chemistry and physics.
Conducted in 2007, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assessed students' science performance in 36 countries at grade 4 and in 48 countries at grade 8. TIMSS is curriculum based and measures what students have learned against what is expected to be taught in the participating countries by the end of grades 4 and 8. In addition to providing an overall science score, TIMSS measures three content domains at grade 4 (life science, physical science, and earth science) and four at grade 8 (biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science).
U.S. 4th-graders scored between 33 and 40 points higher than the TIMSS scale average of 500 across the science content domains in 2007 (table A-16-1). U.S. 4th-graders outperformed students in more countries in life science and physical science than they did in earth science. In life science and physical science, U.S. 4th-graders outperformed their peers in 25 and 24 countries, respectively. In earth science, they outperformed their peers in 21 countries. Students in seven countries scored higher than U.S. 4th-graders in physical science, while in life science and earth science students in three countries scored higher than U.S. 4th-graders.
At grade 8, U.S. students scored higher than the TIMSS scale average in three of the four science content domains in 2007 (table A-16-2). U.S. 8th-graders' average scores in biology, chemistry, and earth science were 10 to 30 points above the TIMSS scale average of 500. U.S. 8th-graders' average score in physics was not measurably different from the TIMSS scale average. U.S. 8th-graders outperformed students in more countries in biology and earth science than they did in chemistry and physics. In both biology and earth science, U.S. 8th-graders outperformed their peers in 36 countries. In chemistry and physics, they outperformed their peers in 35 and 32 countries, respectively. U.S. 8th-graders were outperformed by 8th-graders of another country in 10 instances in physics, in 9 instances in chemistry, and in 5 instances in both biology and earth science.
In 2007, for life science and physical science, there were no measurable differences in the scores of 4th-grade males and females in more than half of the 35 participating countries with reliable data, including the United States (table A-16-3). For earth science, differences were detected in the scores of 4th-grade males and females in more than half of the countries. Where differences were detected, females outperformed males in life science in 10 countries while males outperformed females in 5 countries. In physical science, females outperformed males in 6 countries while males outperformed females in 4 countries; in earth science, males outperformed females in 16 countries, including the United States, while females outperformed males in 5 countries.
At grade 8, for all four content domains, differences were detected in the scores of males and females in more than half of the 48 participating countries (table A-16-4). Where differences were detected, females outperformed males in biology in 25 countries while males outperformed females in 5 countries, including the United States. In chemistry, females outperformed males in 21 countries while males outperformed females in 6 countries. Males outperformed females in physics in 26 countries, including the United States, while females outperformed males in 8 countries. In earth science, males outperformed females in 19 countries, including the United States, while females outperformed males in 11 countries.
Technical Notes
The term "country" is used to refer to all participating entities, even those that
are subnational entities of larger countries (e.g., Hong Kong SAR). The number of
countries reported here differs from the number reported in the international TIMSS
reports. Eight other educational jurisdictions participated: the states of Massachusetts
and Minnesota; the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and
Quebec; the Basque region of Spain; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Morocco participated
at grade 8, but due to sampling difficulties its data are not shown. The TIMSS scale
average is 0 to 1,000, with a mean established at 500 and a standard deviation of
100, based on the average of all countries that participated in 1995. Successive
assessments were scaled so that scores are equivalent from assessment to assessment.
Thus, a score of 500 in grade 8 mathematics in 2007 is equivalent to a score of
500 in grade 8 mathematics in 2003, 1999, and 1995. For more information on TIMSS,
see supplemental note 5.
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