Methodology: Examining the globalization of science curricula using timss

Abstract

Twenty years of collected TIMSS data reveals interesting insights into the globalization of science curricula. To answer the research questions, three different methods were used to analyze the TIMSS dataset. First, changes in countries’ intended science curricula were captured and coded over the course of three TIMSS cycles (1999, 2007 and 2015 for Grade 8, and 2003, 2007 and 2015 for Grade 4). Changes were identified using countries’ responses to the TIMSS curriculum questionnaires. This approach tracks changes in national science curricula over time. Second, cluster and discriminant analyses of the curriculum questionnaire data were used to determine potential convergence of curricula; countries may be clustered into groups on the basis of the topics included or not included in their intended science curricula. Third, the TIMSS encyclopedias and TIMSS teacher questionnaires provide detailed information on additional features of the implemented science curricula, such as the mean time spent teaching science in each country, or the percentage of students taught the TIMSS science topics. Such information was carefully analyzed for a subsample of countries. However, inconsistencies in the way this information was collected and presented across different TIMSS cycles made comparisons across countries between cycles challenging. As each of the three methods has its advantages and limitations, investigating the three research questions from different angles and with different, yet complementary techniques offers the most comprehensive analysis of the available TIMSS data.