Skip to main content

A comparison of PISA and TIMSS 2003 achievement results in mathematics

PROSPECTS volume 39, pages 33–46 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

This study compares the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 Mathematics results with the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 Grade 8 mathematics results, using country mean scores for 22 participants of both studies. It is found that Western countries generally performed better in PISA than in TIMSS, and Eastern European and Asian countries generally performed better in TIMSS than in PISA. Furthermore, two factors, content balance and years of schooling, can account for 93% of the variation between the differential performance of countries in PISA and TIMSS. Consequently, the rankings of countries in the two studies can be reconciled to a reasonable degree of accuracy.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

References

  • AIR. (2005). Reassessing US international mathematics performance: New findings from the 2003 TIMSS and PISA. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, G., Micklewright, J., Schnepf, S., & Waldmann, R. (2007). International surveys of educational achievement: How robust are the findings. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, 170(3), 623–646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gronmo, L., Olsen, R. (2008). TIMSS versus PISA: The case of pure and applied mathematics. Retrieved February 2008, from http://www.timss.no/publications/IRC2006_Gronmo&Olsen.pdf.

  • Gustafsson, J. (2007). Understanding causal influences on educational achievement through analysis of differences over time within countries. In T. Loveless (Ed.), Lessons learned—What international assessments tell us about math achievement. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchison, G., & Schagen, I. (2007). Comparisons between PISA and TIMSS—Are we the man with two watches? In T. Loveless (Ed.), Lessons learned—What international assessments tell us about math achievement. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • IEA. (2004). TIMSS 2003 technical report. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS International Study Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, F. K. S., Graf, K.-D., & Lopez-Real, F. J. (Eds.). (2006). Mathematics education in different cultural traditions—A comparative study of East Asia and the West. The 13th ICMI Study. US: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzales, E. J., & Chrostowski, S. J. (2003). TIMSS 2003 international mathematics report. Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS International Study Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • NCES (2008). Comparing NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA in mathematics and science. Retrieved May, 2008, from http://nces.ed.gov/timss/pdf/naep_timss_pisa_comp.pdf.

  • Neidorf, T. S., Binkley, M., Gattis, K., & Nohara, D. (2006). Comparing mathematics content in the national assessment of educational progress (NAEP); Trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS); And program for international student assessment (PISA) 2003 assessments (NCES 2006-029). US Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.

  • OECD. (2003). Learning for tomorrow’s world—First results from PISA 2003. Paris: OECD.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Assessment Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, 234 Queensberry Street, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Margaret Wu

Authors
  1. Margaret Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margaret Wu.

About this article

Cite this article

Wu, M. A comparison of PISA and TIMSS 2003 achievement results in mathematics. Prospects 39, 33–46 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-009-9109-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-009-9109-y

Keywords

  • PISA
  • TIMSS
  • Mathematics