Table A-16-4. Average science and content domain scale scores of 8th-grade students, by sex and country: 2007
| Country (ordered by total score) |
|
|
|
|
|
Content domain |
| Total science |
|
Biology |
|
Chemistry |
|
Physics |
|
Earth science |
| Male |
|
Female |
|
|
Male |
|
Female |
|
|
Male |
|
Female |
|
|
Male |
|
Female |
|
|
Male |
|
Female |
|
| International average |
463 |
|
469 |
▲ |
|
460 |
|
471 |
▲ |
|
460 |
|
471 |
▲ |
|
468 |
▲ |
464 |
|
|
466 |
|
466 |
|
| Singapore |
563 |
|
571 |
|
|
558 |
|
570 |
▲ |
|
554 |
|
567 |
▲ |
|
577 |
|
574 |
|
|
538 |
|
543 |
|
| Chinese Taipei |
563 |
|
559 |
|
|
548 |
|
549 |
|
|
572 |
|
575 |
|
|
561 |
▲ |
548 |
|
|
549 |
|
541 |
|
| Japan |
556 |
|
552 |
|
|
551 |
|
554 |
|
|
549 |
|
554 |
|
|
565 |
▲ |
552 |
|
|
538 |
▲ |
527 |
|
| Korea, Republic of |
557 |
▲ |
549 |
|
|
549 |
|
546 |
|
|
536 |
|
536 |
|
|
578 |
▲ |
564 |
|
|
546 |
▲ |
530 |
|
| England1 |
546 |
|
537 |
|
|
543 |
|
539 |
|
|
534 |
|
534 |
|
|
553 |
▲ |
538 |
|
|
536 |
▲ |
523 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hungary |
545 |
▲ |
533 |
|
|
535 |
|
533 |
|
|
538 |
|
534 |
|
|
553 |
▲ |
529 |
|
|
540 |
▲ |
523 |
|
| Czech Republic |
543 |
▲ |
534 |
|
|
532 |
|
530 |
|
|
536 |
|
534 |
|
|
546 |
▲ |
528 |
|
|
542 |
▲ |
525 |
|
| Slovenia |
539 |
|
536 |
|
|
526 |
|
534 |
▲ |
|
539 |
|
539 |
|
|
529 |
▲ |
520 |
|
|
547 |
▲ |
537 |
|
| Hong Kong SAR1,2 |
528 |
|
533 |
|
|
523 |
|
531 |
|
|
513 |
|
522 |
|
|
532 |
|
525 |
|
|
532 |
|
532 |
|
| Russian Federation |
533 |
|
527 |
|
|
524 |
|
526 |
|
|
536 |
|
533 |
|
|
530 |
▲ |
509 |
|
|
530 |
▲ |
520 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| United States1,3 |
526 |
▲ |
514 |
|
|
533 |
▲ |
527 |
|
|
512 |
|
508 |
|
|
514 |
▲ |
491 |
|
|
534 |
▲ |
516 |
|
| Lithuania4 |
519 |
|
518 |
|
|
522 |
|
532 |
▲ |
|
501 |
|
512 |
▲ |
|
514 |
▲ |
497 |
|
|
522 |
▲ |
508 |
|
| Australia |
524 |
▲ |
505 |
|
|
522 |
|
515 |
|
|
512 |
▲ |
497 |
|
|
522 |
▲ |
492 |
|
|
532 |
▲ |
505 |
|
| Sweden |
510 |
|
512 |
|
|
509 |
|
521 |
▲ |
|
497 |
|
502 |
|
|
511 |
▲ |
501 |
|
|
510 |
|
510 |
|
| Scotland1 |
498 |
|
493 |
|
|
496 |
|
495 |
|
|
496 |
|
498 |
|
|
501 |
▲ |
487 |
|
|
505 |
▲ |
491 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Italy |
499 |
▲ |
491 |
|
|
504 |
|
501 |
|
|
484 |
▲ |
477 |
|
|
497 |
▲ |
481 |
|
|
509 |
▲ |
496 |
|
| Armenia |
484 |
|
492 |
|
|
487 |
|
494 |
|
|
473 |
|
484 |
|
|
502 |
|
504 |
|
|
472 |
|
477 |
|
| Norway |
486 |
|
487 |
|
|
482 |
|
492 |
▲ |
|
482 |
|
484 |
|
|
482 |
▲ |
468 |
|
|
505 |
▲ |
499 |
|
| Ukraine |
486 |
|
484 |
|
|
472 |
|
481 |
▲ |
|
487 |
|
493 |
|
|
500 |
▲ |
485 |
|
|
489 |
▲ |
476 |
|
| Jordan |
466 |
|
499 |
▲ |
|
464 |
|
493 |
▲ |
|
470 |
|
514 |
▲ |
|
467 |
|
492 |
▲ |
|
473 |
|
496 |
▲ |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Malaysia |
466 |
|
475 |
|
|
462 |
|
476 |
▲ |
|
472 |
|
485 |
▲ |
|
483 |
|
484 |
|
|
462 |
|
463 |
|
| Thailand |
462 |
|
480 |
▲ |
|
468 |
|
489 |
▲ |
|
451 |
|
473 |
▲ |
|
455 |
|
460 |
|
|
484 |
|
493 |
▲ |
| Serbia3,4 |
469 |
|
472 |
|
|
469 |
|
479 |
▲ |
|
463 |
|
471 |
▲ |
|
470 |
|
465 |
|
|
469 |
|
463 |
|
| Bulgaria5 |
464 |
|
477 |
▲ |
|
459 |
|
475 |
▲ |
|
464 |
|
482 |
▲ |
|
465 |
|
467 |
|
|
476 |
|
483 |
|
| Israel5 |
463 |
|
472 |
|
|
465 |
|
479 |
▲ |
|
459 |
|
475 |
▲ |
|
471 |
|
472 |
|
|
464 |
|
461 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Bahrain |
437 |
|
499 |
▲ |
|
441 |
|
507 |
▲ |
|
436 |
|
502 |
▲ |
|
444 |
|
488 |
▲ |
|
443 |
|
488 |
▲ |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
467 |
|
464 |
|
|
463 |
|
466 |
|
|
466 |
|
470 |
|
|
468 |
▲ |
458 |
|
|
472 |
|
466 |
|
| Romania |
458 |
|
466 |
▲ |
|
451 |
|
468 |
▲ |
|
457 |
|
470 |
▲ |
|
461 |
|
455 |
|
|
472 |
|
469 |
|
| Iran, Islamic Republic of |
453 |
|
466 |
|
|
443 |
|
456 |
|
|
453 |
|
474 |
▲ |
|
469 |
|
472 |
|
|
473 |
|
479 |
|
| Malta |
458 |
|
456 |
|
|
448 |
|
457 |
▲ |
|
460 |
|
462 |
|
|
479 |
▲ |
461 |
|
|
462 |
▲ |
450 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Turkey |
452 |
|
457 |
|
|
458 |
|
467 |
▲ |
|
428 |
|
443 |
▲ |
|
445 |
|
446 |
|
|
470 |
|
463 |
|
| Syrian Arab Republic |
457 |
▲ |
448 |
|
|
463 |
|
456 |
|
|
452 |
|
447 |
|
|
453 |
▲ |
441 |
|
|
452 |
|
445 |
|
| Cyprus |
444 |
|
460 |
▲ |
|
438 |
|
455 |
▲ |
|
442 |
|
463 |
▲ |
|
453 |
|
462 |
|
|
452 |
|
463 |
▲ |
| Tunisia |
455 |
▲ |
436 |
|
|
458 |
▲ |
446 |
|
|
467 |
▲ |
450 |
|
|
447 |
▲ |
418 |
|
|
456 |
▲ |
440 |
|
| Indonesia |
428 |
|
426 |
|
|
424 |
|
432 |
|
|
418 |
|
423 |
|
|
440 |
▲ |
425 |
|
|
444 |
|
439 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oman |
391 |
|
452 |
▲ |
|
383 |
|
442 |
▲ |
|
380 |
|
450 |
▲ |
|
416 |
|
469 |
▲ |
|
415 |
|
461 |
▲ |
| Georgia4 |
410 |
|
432 |
▲ |
|
412 |
|
434 |
▲ |
|
407 |
|
428 |
▲ |
|
407 |
|
425 |
▲ |
|
413 |
|
437 |
▲ |
| Kuwait6 |
391 |
|
441 |
▲ |
|
393 |
|
442 |
▲ |
|
386 |
|
445 |
▲ |
|
418 |
|
455 |
▲ |
|
390 |
|
427 |
▲ |
| Colombia |
435 |
▲ |
400 |
|
|
449 |
▲ |
420 |
|
|
432 |
▲ |
408 |
|
|
427 |
▲ |
388 |
|
|
427 |
▲ |
388 |
|
| Lebanon |
417 |
|
410 |
|
|
407 |
|
404 |
|
|
444 |
|
449 |
|
|
439 |
▲ |
424 |
|
|
395 |
|
384 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Egypt |
400 |
|
417 |
▲ |
|
397 |
|
417 |
▲ |
|
401 |
|
426 |
▲ |
|
412 |
|
415 |
|
|
421 |
|
432 |
|
| Algeria |
408 |
|
408 |
|
|
409 |
|
414 |
|
|
413 |
|
415 |
|
|
402 |
▲ |
392 |
|
|
413 |
|
413 |
|
| Palestinian National Authority |
386 |
|
422 |
▲ |
|
384 |
|
419 |
▲ |
|
391 |
|
435 |
▲ |
|
400 |
|
428 |
▲ |
|
395 |
|
422 |
▲ |
| Saudi Arabia |
383 |
|
426 |
▲ |
|
384 |
|
433 |
▲ |
|
371 |
|
411 |
▲ |
|
393 |
|
424 |
▲ |
|
406 |
|
442 |
▲ |
| El Salvador |
399 |
▲ |
377 |
|
|
405 |
▲ |
392 |
|
|
384 |
▲ |
370 |
|
|
399 |
▲ |
363 |
|
|
418 |
▲ |
384 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Botswana |
343 |
|
365 |
▲ |
|
342 |
|
374 |
▲ |
|
363 |
|
379 |
▲ |
|
350 |
|
352 |
|
|
349 |
|
371 |
▲ |
| Qatar |
284 |
|
354 |
▲ |
|
284 |
|
352 |
▲ |
|
289 |
|
355 |
▲ |
|
314 |
|
379 |
▲ |
|
282 |
|
342 |
▲ |
| Ghana |
316 |
▲ |
288 |
|
|
315 |
▲ |
291 |
|
|
355 |
▲ |
327 |
|
|
290 |
▲ |
259 |
|
|
307 |
▲ |
279 |
|
| ▲ p <05. Score is significantly higher than other sex's score. |
| 1 Met guidelines for sample participation rates only after substitute schools were included. |
|
| 2 Hong Kong SAR is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China. |
|
| 3 National Defined Population covered 90 to 95 percent of National Target Population. |
|
| 4 National Target Population did not include all of the International Target Population. |
|
| 5 National Defined Population covered less than 90 percent of National Target Population (but at least 77 percent). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 6 Kuwait tested the same cohort of students as other countries, but later in 2007, at the beginning of the next school year. |
| NOTE: Results from the grade 8 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assessment are reported on a total science scale, which captures students’ overall science knowledge and skills, and four content domains. The TIMSS scale is from 0 to 1,000, with the average set at 500 and a standard deviation of 100, based on the average of all the countries that participated in 1995. Successive TIMSS assessments have scaled achievement data so that scores are equivalent from assessment to assessment. That is, a score of 500 in grade 8 science in 2007 is equivalent to a score of 500 in grade 8 science in 2003, 1999, and 1995. Countries are ordered by total science average score. Ordering of countries does not imply that scores are measurably different from one another. Morocco participated at grade 8, but due to sampling difficulties its data are not shown. The tests for significance take into account the standard error for the reported difference. Thus, a small difference in one country may be significant, while a large difference in another country may not be significant. For more information on TIMSS, see supplemental note 5. |
| SOURCE: Gonzales, P., Williams, T., Jocelyn, L., Roey, S., Kastberg, D., and Brenwald, S. (2009). Highlights From TIMSS 2007: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth- and Eighth-Grade Students in an International Context (NCES 2009-001 Revised), figures 20 and 21, and Martin, M.O, Mullis, I.V.S., and Foy, P. (2008). TIMSS 2007 International Science Report: Findings from IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study at the Fourth and Eighth Grades, exhibits 1.5 and 3.3, data from International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 2007. |
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