Department welcomes publication of the findings of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023
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Students in Ireland continue to perform highly in TIMSS 2023 - an international assessment of Mathematics and Science achievement.
• Ireland’s mean scores for both fourth class pupils and second year students were significantly above international averages in TIMSS 2023 - an international assessment of Mathematics and Science achievement..
• Ireland is the top performing EU country in Mathematics and Science at second year.
• The mean achievement of Ireland’s fourth class pupils in Mathematics and Science was similar to the two previous cycles (2019 and 2015) and significantly higher than 2011.
• The mean achievement of Ireland’s second year students in Mathematics and Science remained relatively stable over the three most recent cycles in which Ireland participated at this grade (2015, 2019 and 2023).
Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has today welcomed the TIMSS 2023 results, which show Ireland’s fourth class and second year students are performing significantly higher than the international average in Mathematics and Science. Minister Foley congratulated all those involved in the testing, particularly the students themselves and also their dedicated teachers.
TIMSS is one of the world’s largest studies of educational achievement in Mathematics and Science. It assesses the Mathematics and Science skills of students in fourth grade and eighth grade (corresponding to fourth class and second year in Ireland). The study is directed internationally by the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Centre at Boston College, USA, and is managed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).
In 2023, TIMSS was administered to over 650000 students in 65 countries. In Ireland, the assessments were administered to a random sample of approximately 6,365 fourth class pupils in primary schools and 6,321 second year students in post-primary schools.
Speaking about the results today, Minister Foley said:
“It is great to hear that Ireland has maintained its strong performance in Mathematics and Science across the TIMSS cycles. I am very pleased that Irish students are again amongst the top performers at fourth class in primary and second year in post-primary. There is no other EU country performing significantly higher than Ireland in Mathematics and Science at second year.
“This high performance reflects the commitment and hard work of our school communities, particularly amidst the disruption of Covid-19. We have also made significant efforts to improve educational outcomes, including the development of a new Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy, curricular review and redevelopment at primary and post-primary level, the STEM Education Policy Statement and the Digital Strategy for Schools.
“Despite the high performance, however, it is apparent that there is room for improvement in supporting girls in particular in Mathematics and Science. The new primary mathematics curriculum, introduced in 2023, should have a positive impact. We are introducing revised and updated curricula for biology, physics and chemistry next year. We are also continuing to roll out the STEM Passport for Inclusion initiative, which provides female students from DEIS schools with 50 Leaving Cert points towards entry to specific STEM courses in Maynooth University and Munster Technological University. Over 5,000 students from disadvantaged backgrounds have participated in the initiative to date and 76% of these students are now considering a career in STEM.
"While the gap between DEIS and Non-DEIS schools has not grown since the last TIMSS cycle we need to do more to narrow this gap.
“TIMSS shows us that we have a stable and equitable education system, despite unprecedented disruption during the pandemic. I believe that this is due largely to the hard work of our students and the professionalism and dedication of our teachers and all our school staff. While there is more work to do, the consistent achievement of students in Ireland in international tests is certainly something of which to be very proud.”
Results Remain Stable
Gráinne McHugh, one of the report’s authors, said:
“The consistent finding of stability in overall achievement in Mathematics and Science at both fourth class and second year in Ireland is encouraging, especially given the disruptions to schooling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in the period from the last cycle of TIMSS in 2019”.
Dr Sylvia Denner, another author, said that:
“While overall performance at second year has remained stable since 2015, the mean score achieved by second year girls in TIMSS has decreased significantly over time, since 2019 for Mathematics and since 2015 for Science. So, we now see for the first time in 2023 significant gender differences in TIMSS, with boys significantly outperforming girls in both Mathematics and Science. Over the coming months, we will conduct more detailed analysis on this gender difference including an examination of attitudes towards learning n both subjects.”
Dr Aidan Clerkin, another author, said:
“One challenge that had been highlighted in previous studies was the underperformance of higher-achieving students in Ireland compared to other countries. From that perspective, an important new finding from TIMSS 2023 is that we are now seeing more students reaching the more advanced benchmarks for Mathematics and Science compared to earlier studies. While this is a positive finding, there is still scope for further improvement among higher-achievers. At the same time, it will also be important to ensure that students who experience more difficulties continue to receive appropriate support in the coming years.”
An information note on the report and the report itself can be found online here .
TIMMS 2023 was the first year where students in Ireland did the tests on digital devices. Previous tests were done on paper. In TIMMS 2023 a sample of students did the tests on paper to see if there was any difference between tests done digitally versus on paper. No difference was recorded.
• Gráinne McHugh, Sylvia Denner, Aidan Clerkin, George Piccio & Vasiliki Pitsia. (2024). TIMSS 2023: Insights into mathematics and science achievement in Ireland. Educational Research Centre. https://doi.org/10.70092/2009137.1224
Department of Education Press Office – press@education.gov.ie
• Gráinne McHugh 01-8065211 timss.ireland@erc.ie / grainne.mchugh@erc.ie
• Sylvia Denner 01-8065237 timss.ireland@erc.ie / sylvia.denner@erc.ie
• Aidan Clerkin 01-8065218 timss.ireland@erc.ie / aidan.clerkin@erc.ie