TIMSS Advanced 2015 OUTCOME MEASURES
- Advanced mathematics
- Physics
scale creation
The TIMSS Advanced international achievement scales were developed based on item response theory and population models using plausible values, with each student respondent being assigned five plausible values on each of the achievement scales.
Scale scores range from 0 to 1000.
Each international scale was established by TIMSS Advanced 1995 to have a midpoint of 500 located at the mean of the combined achievement distribution across all countries and to have 100 scale score points correspond to one standard deviation of the combined distribution.
In order to measure trends over time, the results of all subsequent TIMSS Advanced assessments (2008, 2015) were transformed onto this metric.
OVERVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENT SCALES
- Overall achievement (advanced mathematics and physics)
- Content domains
- Advanced mathematics: algebra, calculus, geometry
- Physics: mechanics and thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, wave phenomena and atomic/nuclear physics
- Cognitive domains (advanced mathematics and physics)
- Knowing
- Applying
- Reasoning
Overall achievement results were reported in terms of the percentages of students reaching the following three benchmarks:
- Advanced International Benchmark (625)
- High International Benchmark (550)
- Intermediate International Benchmark (475)
The descriptions of the competencies of students reaching each of these benchmarks were determined by means of a scale-anchoring process.
Scale creation
For TIMSS Advanced 2015 a number of background questionnaire scales were created in order to report the context questionnaire data.
Scales were calculated using item response theory (IRT), specifically a Rasch partial credit model.
In addition, categorical variables were created using these scales by classifying respondents into one of three groups: High, Middle, and Low. Cut-off points for categorization were determined on a scale-by-scale basis.
Questionnaire Scales
- Home Environment and Future Plans (Advanced Mathematics and Physics)
- Home Educational Resources
- School Climate (Advanced Mathematics and Physics)
- School Supports Advanced Mathematics and Physics Education – Principal Version
- School Supports Advanced Mathematics and Physics Education – Teacher Version
- Teacher Job Satisfaction
- Students’ Sense of School Belonging
- School Safety (Advanced Mathematics and Physics)
- School Discipline Problems – Principals’ Reports
- Safe and Orderly School – Teachers’ Reports
- Student Engagement and Attitudes
- Students’ Views on Engaging Teaching in Advanced Mathematics Lessons (Advanced Mathematics)
- Students’ Views on Engaging Teaching in Physics Lessons (Physics)
- Students Like Learning Advanced Mathematics (Advanced Mathematics)
- Students Like Learning Physics (Physics)
- Students Value Advanced Mathematics (Advanced Mathematics)
- Students Value Physics (Physics)