The Grade 9 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) was administered in August 2019 by the Human Sciences Research Council, in collaboration with the Gauteng Department of Education, the Department of Basic Education and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. TIMSS 2019 collected learner achievement data in the core subjects of mathematics and science, as well as contextual information from learners, educators and school principals which enabled the exploration of factors that are associated with Grade 9 learners’ achievement.
South Africa has participated in TIMSS at Grade 8 or 9 since 1995 with the assessment taking place every four years. In TIMSS 2019, the Gauteng province increased its sample size from 30 to 150 schools and participated as a self-standing benchmarking participant, while still forming part of the national sample. This larger sample size allows a more precise measure of provincial mathematics and science achievement scores as well as an opportunity to understand the texture of Gauteng achievement. Further, this larger sample allows for analysis to identify factors that are associated with Gauteng mathematics and science achievement.
This report highlights how the results of international assessments can be used to provide meaningful insights at the provincial level. We analysed the data from a ‘building achievement and bridging achievement gaps’ perspective. The findings presented in the report are based on descriptive and inferential analysis of the TIMSS data, and provide insights into learner achievement, as well as aspects of learners’ home environments, and the school and classroom contexts within which teaching and learning take place. The report concludes with key findings and implications for the senior phase of the Gauteng education system
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
LIST OF FIGURES vii
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF ACRONYMS x
READER’S GUIDE xi
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: GAUTENG TIMSS 2019 GRADE 9 RESULTS xiii
SECTION A: FRAMING THE TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY FOR THE GAUTENG PROVINCE AS A BENCHMARKING PARTICIPANT 1
CHAPTER ONE 2
- GAUTENG DEMOGRAPHIC, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT 2
The size and shape of the Gauteng educational system 4
A focus on achievement and achievement gaps 6
- TIMSS DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 7
What is TIMSS? 7
TIMSS in the Gauteng province 7
The TIMSS Conceptual Framework 8
The TIMSS Assessment Framework 9
What did Grade 9 Gauteng participants do in TIMSS 2019? 9
The achievement booklets 9
The contextual questionnaires 9
TIMSS pre-administration and administration 10
Selecting schools and learners 11
Reporting TIMSS achievement scores 11
Structure of the report 12
SECTION B: ACHIEVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS 13
CHAPTER TWO 14
- MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT 14
Mathematics achievement in an international context 14
Gauteng mathematics achievement and learners reaching international achievement benchmarks 17
Trends in mathematics achievement and achievement benchmarks in Gauteng
(TIMSS 2011 to 2019) 18
Mathematics achievement of Gauteng learners relative to other provinces 20
- MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT GAPS 20
Mathematics achievement and ability levels by socioeconomic status of the school 20
Mathematics achievement and ability levels by school fee status 22
- SUMMARY: MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS 23
CHAPTER THREE 24
- SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT 24
Science achievement in an international context 24
Gauteng science achievement and learners reaching international achievement benchmarks 27
Trends in science achievement and achievement benchmarks in Gauteng (TIMSS 2011 to 2019) 28
Science achievement of Gauteng learners relative to other provinces 29
- SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS 30
Science achievement and ability levels by socioeconomic status of the school 30
Science achievement and ability levels by school fee status 32
- SUMMARY: SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS 33
SECTION C: THE CURRICULUM: CONTENT AND COGNITIVE DOMAINS 34
CHAPTER FOUR 35
- MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM 35
- PERFORMANCE BY TIMSS MATHEMATICS CONTENT AND COGNITIVE DOMAINS 35
Mathematics achievement by content domain 35
Mathematics achievement by cognitive domain 37
- SCIENCE CURRICULUM 38
- PERFORMANCE BY TIMSS SCIENCE CONTENT AND COGNITIVE DOMAINS 39
Science achievement by content domain 39
Science achievement by cognitive domain 41
- PERFORMANCE BY QUESTION TYPE 43
- SUMMARY: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CURRICULUM ANALYSIS 44
SECTION D: THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AND LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS RELATED
TO ACHIEVEMENT 45
CHAPTER FIVE 46
- A PROFILE OF LEARNERS 46
Learners’ gender and achievement 46
Learners’ linguistic characteristics and achievement 48
Age of learners and achievement 50
- HOME ENVIRONMENT OF LEARNERS 51
Availability of home assets 51
Home asset scale 53
Profile of schools by learners’ socioeconomic status 53
Home educational resources and mathematics and science achievement 55
Home support for learning 56
- SUMMARY: LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR HOME ENVIRONMENT 57
CHAPTER SIX 58
- LEARNERS LIKE LEARNING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 58
- LEARNERS VALUE MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 60
- LEARNERS CONFIDENT IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 62
- SUMMARY: LEARNER ATTITUDES TOWARDS MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 64
SECTION E: SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM FACTORS RELATED TO ACHIEVEMENT 65
CHAPTER SEVEN 66
- SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS 66
Profiles of schools by their socioeconomic status 66
Profile of schools by socioeconomic status of learners 67
Profile of schools by population group of learners 68
Profile of schools by their geo-location 69
- THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL 71
School principals’ educational qualifications and experience 71
Principals’ leadership style and school management characteristics 71
- SCHOOL CLIMATE 72
Emphasis placed on academic success 72
Schools promoting academic excellence in mathematics and science 75
Safe and orderly schools 77
School discipline 79
Incidences of bullying in schools 81
- SUMMARY: SCHOOLS AS ENABLING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 83
CHAPTER EIGHT 84
- EDUCATORS 84
Preparation and experience 84
Educator professional development participation and future needs 85
- RESOURCES TO TEACH MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 86
Class size and achievement 86
Resources and materials 89
Textbooks and workbooks 89
- CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES 91
Educators’ instructional clarity 91
Learner behaviour during mathematics lessons 92
Emphasis on science investigation and experiments 94
- COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION AND INSTRUCTION 95
Computers in the home 95
Computer access in schools 96
Computer access and use in mathematics and science classrooms 96
- SUMMARY: CLASSROOMS: EDUCATORS, RESOURCES AND INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES 97
SECTION F: A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH
MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT 98
CHAPTER NINE 99
- AN OVERVIEW OF THE APPROACH USED 99
Basic associations 99
Grouped multivariate associations 99
Full multivariate model 100
Statistical analysis 100
- BIVARIATE ASSOCIATIONS 100
School quintile rank 100
Household characteristics 101
Individual-level characteristics 102
Learner attitudes to learning 102
Educator and classroom characteristics 103
Principal and school-level characteristics 104
- GROUPED MULTIVARIATE ASSOCIATIONS 105
Household characteristics 105
Individual-level characteristics 106
Learner attitudes to learning 106
Educator and classroom characteristics 107
Principal and school-level characteristics 108
- HOW MUCH OF THE VARIATION IN ACHIEVEMENT CAN THESE CHARACTERISTICS EXPLAIN? 109
- FULL MULTIVARIATE MODEL 110
- SUMMARY: FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT 113
SECTION G: RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS 114
CHAPTER TEN 115
- RESULTS FROM THE GAUTENG PROVINCE TIMSS 2019 115
GRADE 9 MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PERFORMANCE 115
HOME AND INDIVIDUAL, SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM CONTEXTS 116
CURRICULUM 118
- IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE GAUTENG PROVINCE TIMSS 2019
RESULTS 118
Monitoring and evaluating the Gauteng province’s mathematics and science achievement and achievement gaps 119
Improving school functionality and promoting whole school improvement 119
Schools must be safer places of learning that emphasise academic excellence 120
Improving learners’ attitudes to learning mathematics and science 120
CONCLUSION 121
REFERENCES 122
ANNEXURE 1: TIMSS DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 127
Translating and preparing assessment instruments 127
Field testing of instrument 127
Main administration of TIMSS 2019 127
Creating the TIMSS 2019 data files 128
ANNEXURE 2: MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CURRICULA 130 ANNEXURE 3: NON-COGNITIVE FACTORS IN THE CAPS DOCUMENTS 132
