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Digest of Education Statistics
1996 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

Table 397.Science test scores of 9-year-olds in educational systems participating in the International Assessment of Educational Progress: 1991


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                        |                                 |                                                                 |                                            |
                        |    Average percent correct      |                      Percentile scores                          |           Topic averages                   |              Process averages
                        |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |Exhibit basic|Combine factual|Able to draw
        Country         |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |Earth and |          |knowledge of |knowledge with |conclusions
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |Life      |Physical   |space     |Nature of |science facts|rules and      |on the basis of
                        |  Total   |   Male   |   Female  |    1     |    5     |   10     |   90     |   95     |   99     |sciences  |sciences   |sciences  |science   |and concepts |formulas       |available data
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |   (Knows)   |   (Uses)      | (Integrates)
------------------------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|----------|-------------|---------------|-----
           1            |     2    |     3    |      4    |     5    |     6    |     7    |     8    |     9    |     10   |     11   |     12    |     13   |     14   |      15     |      16       |
------------------------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|-----------|----------|----------|-------------|---------------|-----
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
IAEP average............|62.1  --- | ---  --- |  ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- | ---  --- |63.3  --- |58.6   --- |64.1  --- |63.9  --- | 63.9    --- | 62.7 ---      |56.9
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
Populations             |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
 (comprehensive)        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
Korea...................|67.9 (0.5)|70.4 (0.7)| 65.1 (0.5)|32.8 (4.9)|44.8 (0.4)|50.0 (0.0)|84.5 (0.0)|87.9 (0.0)|93.1 (3.4)|69.1 (0.5)|68.2 (0.5) |62.4 (0.6)|70.7 (0.6)| 67.3 (0.5)  | 70.1 (0.5)    |64.5
Taiwan..................|66.7 (0.5)|68.5 (0.6)| 64.6 (0.7)|27.6 (1.3)|39.7 (0.0)|44.8 (7.2)|86.2 (0.0)|89.7 (0.0)|94.8 (0.0)|65.3 (0.6)|68.1 (0.5) |66.6 (0.7)|67.4 (0.6)| 65.3 (0.6)  | 69.5 (0.6)    |63.6
United States...........|64.7 (0.9)|65.5 (1.1)| 63.8 (0.8)|25.9 (0.3)|36.2 (1.7)|43.1 (5.1)|84.5 (0.0)|87.9 (0.0)|93.1 (0.0)|65.2 (0.9)|57.5 (0.8) |70.6 (1.1)|70.7 (1.0)| 67.0 (1.0)  | 65.5 (0.9)    |57.9
Canada\1\...............|62.8 (0.4)|63.6 (0.4)| 62.0 (0.5)|27.6 (0.5)|37.9 (1.1)|43.1 (0.0)|81.0 (0.0)|84.5 (0.0)|91.4 (0.0)|63.3 (0.4)|57.7 (0.4) |66.8 (0.4)|67.3 (0.5)| 63.4 (0.4)  | 65.3 (0.4)    |56.4
Hungary.................|62.5 (0.5)|63.4 (0.6)| 61.6 (0.6)|26.9 (1.7)|38.5 (0.7)|44.8 (0.0)|79.3 (0.0)|84.2 (2.9)|89.7 (0.0)|64.7 (0.6)|56.3 (0.6) |68.2 (0.5)|62.0 (0.6)| 66.1 (0.5)  | 61.1 (0.5)    |57.4
Spain\2\................|61.7 (0.7)|63.4 (0.9)| 59.7 (0.7)|27.6 (3.1)|36.2 (0.0)|41.8 (1.6)|81.0 (0.0)|84.5 (0.0)|89.7 (0.0)|65.7 (0.7)|54.1 (0.7) |62.7 (0.7)|65.1 (1.0)| 66.7 (0.7)  | 60.3 (0.7)    |53.8
(Former) Soviet Union\3\|61.5 (1.2)|62.7 (1.4)| 60.4 (1.2)|29.3 (4.2)|39.7 (1.5)|43.1 (1.4)|79.3 (4.8)|86.2 (2.4)|93.1 (2.4)|63.8 (1.4)|58.1 (0.9) |63.1 (1.4)|60.2 (1.4)| 63.9 (1.4)  | 62.3 (1.1)    |54.7
Israel\4\...............|61.2 (0.7)|63.0 (0.9)| 59.4 (0.7)|27.6 (0.3)|36.2 (1.4)|41.4 (0.0)|81.0 (0.0)|86.2 (0.0)|93.1 (0.0)|61.4 (0.8)|59.8 (0.6) |60.6 (0.7)|64.1 (0.9)| 61.0 (0.8)  | 63.0 (0.6)    |57.7
Slovenia................|57.7 (0.5)|58.3 (0.6)| 57.0 (0.6)|27.8 (0.8)|35.1 (0.2)|40.4 (0.4)|75.4 (0.0)|79.0 (0.0)|86.0 (1.5)|59.4 (0.5)|56.6 (0.5) |58.3 (0.7)|54.1 (0.6)| 60.3 (0.5)  | 57.0 (0.5)    |52.9
Ireland.................|56.5 (0.7)|58.2 (1.0)| 54.8 (0.9)|22.9 (1.4)|29.3 (1.6)|36.2 (1.3)|75.9 (0.0)|81.0 (1.8)|89.7 (5.2)|54.7 (0.8)|53.8 (0.7) |62.9 (0.8)|59.5 (0.8)| 57.2 (0.8)  | 57.4 (0.7)    |53.0
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
Populations             |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
 (with exclusions or    |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
  low participation)    |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
Italy\5\................|66.9 (0.9)|67.9 (1.0)| 65.8 (1.0)|31.0 (1.7)|41.4 (3.3)|48.3 (0.3)|86.2 (1.7)|89.7 (1.7)|94.8 (0.0)|71.3 (0.9)|61.0 (0.9) |66.8 (0.9)|66.9 (1.1)| 71.6 (0.9)  | 66.1 (0.9)    |58.2
England.................|62.9 (0.9)|63.8 (1.3)| 62.0 (1.2)|24.1 (4.1)|36.2 (0.9)|41.4 (0.0)|82.8 (0.0)|86.2 (2.8)|93.1 (0.0)|62.4 (0.9)|60.1 (0.9) |66.3 (1.1)|66.0 (1.1)| 64.5  (1.0) | 63.6 (0.9)    |58.2
Scotland................|62.2 (0.7)|61.9 (0.7)| 62.5 (1.0)|27.6 (0.0)|36.8 (3.0)|43.1 (0.0)|81.0 (3.5)|84.5 (0.0)|89.7 (0.0)|61.3 (0.7)|59.1 (0.8) |65.1 (0.7)|67.7 (1.0)| 62.5 (0.6)  | 62.7 (0.7)    |60.4
Portugal................|54.8 (0.7)|56.3 (0.9)| 53.3 (0.9)|26.3 (3.8)|33.3 (3.2)|37.9 (0.0)|72.4 (0.0)|79.0 (5.6)|86.2 (3.9)|58.1 (0.8)|50.0 (0.6) |57.3 (0.9)|52.4 (1.1)| 58.4 (0.9)  | 54.1 (0.7)    |48.5
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
Populations (Canadian)  |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
                        |          |          |           |          |          |          |          |          |          |          |           |          |          |             |               |
British Columbia........|65.9 (0.6)|66.1 (0.8)| 65.6 (0.6)|29.3 (4.6)|41.4 (0.0)|46.6 (3.6)|82.8 (0.0)|86.2 (0.0)|91.4 (0.0)|66.4 (0.7)|59.6 (0.7) |72.1 (0.6)|69.9 (0.8)| 68.2 (0.6)  | 66.9 (0.6)    |58.6
Quebec-English..........|63.0 (0.7)|64.3 (0.9)| 61.7 (0.8)|29.3 (2.0)|37.9 (0.0)|43.1 (2.0)|82.8 (0.0)|86.2 (0.0)|91.4 (0.0)|63.9 (0.8)|57.3 (0.6) |66.8 (0.8)|67.9 (0.8)| 65.1 (0.8)  | 64.4 (0.6)    |55.7
Quebec-French...........|62.8 (0.5)|63.2 (0.7)| 62.4 (0.5)|32.8 (5.2)|40.7 (3.6)|44.8 (0.6)|79.3 (0.0)|84.5 (0.0)|89.7 (4.9)|63.3 (0.6)|59.1 (0.6) |63.0 (0.6)|69.0 (0.7)| 61.1 (0.5)  | 66.9 (0.6)    |57.9
Ontario-English.........|62.5 (0.5)|63.6 (0.6)| 61.4 (0.7)|27.6 (0.0)|36.2 (2.6)|43.1 (3.1)|81.0 (0.0)|86.2 (3.4)|91.4 (0.0)|63.0 (0.6)|56.6 (0.5) |68.4 (0.6)|66.2 (0.7)| 64.3 (0.6)  | 64.1 (0.5)    |55.1
New Brunswick-English...|61.6 (0.4)|61.9 (0.5)| 61.3 (0.6)|24.1 (0.0)|34.5 (3.2)|41.4 (0.0)|81.0 (0.0)|84.5 (0.0)|91.4 (0.0)|61.3 (0.4)|56.9 (0.4) |67.2 (0.5)|65.4 (0.5)| 63.1 (0.4)  | 63.4 (0.4)    |54.5
Ontario-French..........|56.3 (0.5)|56.5 (0.7)| 56.1 (0.5)|28.9 (3.5)|34.5 (0.0)|39.7 (0.0)|74.1 (0.0)|79.3 (1.8)|86.2 (0.0)|54.9 (0.5)|53.7 (0.5) |60.5 (0.5)|60.3 (0.7)| 55.1 (0.5)  | 59.7 (0.5)    |51.7
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1 Four provinces.

2 Schools where instruction is in Spanish, in all regions except Cataluna.

3 Schools in 14 republics, where instruction is in Russian.

4 Schools where instruction is in Hebrew.

5 Emilia-Romagna province only.

---Data not available.

NOTE.--Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, International Assessment of Educational Progress, "Learning Science," by Educational Testing Service. (This table was prepared February 1992.)


1996 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest