Table 399.

Instructional practices and time spent teaching science in eighth grade, by country: 2003

Country or other jurisdiction	Percent of students who reported doing activity about half the lessons or more																		Students' average yearly instructional time in hours
	Watch the teacher demonstrate an experiment or investigation			Design or plan an experiment or investigation			Conduct an experiment or investigation			Work in small groups on an experiment or investigation			Write explanations about what was observed and why it happened			Relate what is being learned in science to our daily lives			General integrated science			Earth science			Chemistry			Biology			Physics
1	2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10			11			12
International average	64		(0.2)	49		(0.2)	57		(0.3)	59		(0.3)	66		(0.2)	57		(0.2)	117		(0.7)	55		(0.6)	61		(0.8)	61		(0.8)	68		(0.6)
Australia	54		(1.6)	49		(1.7)	60		(2.2)	68		(2.1)	75		(1.5)	42		(1.1)	132	1	(3.6)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Bahrain	83		(0.8)	63		(0.8)	64		(0.8)	66		(1.1)	68		(0.9)	64		(0.9)	119		(1.1)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Belgium (Flemish)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	52	1	(3.2)	—		(†)	55	1	(3.3)	58	1	(2.7)
Botswana	61		(0.9)	45		(0.8)	48		(1.0)	50		(1.1)	61		(0.9)	71		(0.8)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Bulgaria	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	53	2	(2.2)	63	2	(2.9)	65	1	(3.2)	64	2	(3.3)
Chile	57		(1.3)	56		(1.4)	54		(1.5)	61		(1.4)	69		(1.0)	62		(0.7)	118	2	(2.2)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Chinese Taipei	48	3	(1.1)	24	3	(0.9)	36	3	(1.3)	37	3	(1.5)	37	3	(1.1)	40	3	(1.0)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—	4	(†)	—		(†)	134	4	(2.0)
Cyprus	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	53	1	(0.7)	34	1	(1.6)	—		(†)	52	1	(0.8)
England	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Egypt	80		(0.7)	61		(1.0)	62		(1.0)	60		(0.8)	71		(0.7)	73		(0.7)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Estonia	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	‡		(†)	55		(2.9)	65		(3.9)	80		(4.8)	59		(1.8)
Ghana	73		(1.2)	54		(1.3)	55		(1.3)	54		(1.5)	64		(1.5)	75		(1.0)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Hong Kong, SAR5	66		(1.2)	35		(1.0)	71		(1.5)	75		(1.2)	67		(1.2)	61		(0.8)	103	1	(4.0)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Hungary	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	58	1	(2.5)	59	1	(2.1)	61	1	(2.8)	57	1	(2.5)
Indonesia	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	93	1	(3.6)	93	1	(3.3)
Iran, Islamic Republic of	87		(1.0)	66		(1.4)	77		(1.2)	73		(1.5)	78		(1.0)	70		(1.0)	106	1	(3.7)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Israel	73		(1.6)	56		(1.4)	63		(1.6)	52		(1.8)	76		(1.3)	56		(1.0)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Italy	26		(1.3)	16		(0.9)	13		(0.8)	12		(0.8)	32		(1.4)	35		(1.1)	69	1	(1.1)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Japan	66		(1.5)	51		(1.7)	75		(1.7)	79		(1.6)	69		(1.5)	27		(1.1)	99	2	(1.5)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Jordan	67		(1.5)	56		(1.4)	55		(1.7)	53		(1.6)	66		(1.3)	70		(1.1)	135		(0.8)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Korea, Republic of	31		(1.0)	14		(0.8)	20		(1.1)	39		(1.3)	44		(1.3)	36		(0.9)	103	1	(2.7)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Latvia	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	‡		(†)	64	1	(4.2)	56	1	(4.1)
Lebanon	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Lithuania	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	59	2	(0.4)	65	2	(1.2)	46	2	(3.5)	60	2	(0.8)
Macedonia	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	53	2	(1.4)	64	2	(2.5)	59	2	(2.0)	79	2	(1.5)
Malaysia	83		(1.1)	46		(1.3)	71		(1.7)	77		(1.3)	73		(1.0)	72		(1.0)	119		(1.8)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Moldova	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Morocco	82		(1.2)	62		(1.3)	61	2	(1.2)	50		(1.3)	74		(1.0)	65	2	(1.2)	—		(†)	—	6	(†)	—	4	(†)	‡	6	(†)	‡	4	(†)
Netherlands	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	54	1	(1.7)	—	4	(†)	58	1	(1.8)	68	2.4	(2.4)
New Zealand	60		(2.0)	50		(2.1)	56		(2.5)	66		(2.3)	73		(1.8)	45		(1.3)	132		(2.4)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Norway	40		(1.5)	34		(1.6)	49		(2.2)	49		(2.2)	56		(1.9)	31		(0.9)	92		(2.5)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Palestinian National Authority	70		(1.2)	56		(1.2)	57		(1.0)	54		(1.5)	66		(1.2)	69		(0.9)	101	1	(1.8)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Philippines7	74		(0.9)	58		(1.2)	57		(1.0)	62		(1.1)	72		(1.0)	76		(0.8)	202		(4.2)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Romania	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	60	2	(1.1)	67	2	(2.4)	38	2	(2.6)	67	2	(2.4)
Russian Federation	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	49	2	(0.7)	59	2	(1.2)	49	2	(0.8)	49	2	(0.9)
Saudi Arabia	68		(1.3)	50		(1.3)	51		(1.4)	43		(1.4)	60		(1.3)	67		(1.0)	106	1	(1.6)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Scotland	69		(1.4)	54		(1.3)	74		(1.4)	81		(1.2)	83		(1.1)	47		(1.0)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Serbia	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	53	2	(2.2)	61	1	(3.7)	53	1	(1.0)	56	1	(2.5)
Singapore	49		(0.9)	31		(0.6)	55		(1.0)	57		(0.8)	68		(0.8)	58		(0.7)	107		(1.9)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Slovak Republic	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	66	2	(3.9)	76	2	(3.8)	72	2	(5.2)	70	2	(4.5)
Slovenia	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	59		(1.1)	56		(0.7)	57	2	(0.5)
South Africa	72		(1.1)	64		(1.2)	63		(1.1)	70		(1.1)	73		(0.7)	77		(0.7)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Sweden	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	131	2	(7.6)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
Tunisia	79		(0.7)	65		(1.0)	69		(1.0)	55		(1.2)	73		(0.8)	54		(0.9)	‡		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)
United States	57		(1.3)	48		(1.2)	55		(1.4)	65		(1.5)	65		(1.4)	51		(0.9)	135	1	(2.2)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)	—		(†)

— Not available. † Not applicable. ‡ Reporting standards not met. 1 Data are available for at least 50 but less than 70 percent of the students. 2 Data are available for at least 70 but less than 85 percent of the students. 3 Students in Chinese Taipei were asked about natural science; data pertain to grade 8 physics/chemistry course. 4 Data reported in physics column are for grade 8 physics/chemistry. 5 SAR = Special Administrative Region. 6 Data reported in biology column are for grade 8 biology/earth science. 7 Students study only biology at grade 8. NOTE: Data are for eighth grade or equivalent in most countries. Standard errors appear in parentheses. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. SOURCE: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003, TIMSS 2003 International Science Report, by Michael O. Martin et al. (This table was prepared April 2005.)