Tjeerd Plomp

Sarah J. Howie

This book is the result of research from over fifteen countries, asking which background and environmental factors influence achievement in mathematics and science. This research is based on data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which was conducted under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in 1995 and 1998. In many countries researchers have started secondary analysis of the data in search for relationships between contextual factors and achievement. In these analyses two different approaches can be distinguished, which can be characterised by the metaphors of ‘fishing’ and ‘hunting’. In the ‘fishing’ approach, researchers begin with an open mind, considering all possible context variables as potentially influential. Applying analysis techniques such as regression analysis, Lisrel, PLS, HLM, and MLN, they then identify important factors within their countries or across a number of countries. In the ‘hunting’ approach, researchers hypothesise certain context variables and trace the effect of these variables on mathematics and/or science achievement.

Lessons Learned from TIMSS

Contexts of Learning Mathematics and Science

Nancy Law

Willem J. Pelgrum

How is information and communication technology (ICT) changing teaching and learning practices in secondary schools worldwide in the 21st century? This is the central question addressed by researchers involved in the series of surveys comprising the Second Information Technology in EducationStudy (SITES ). The question is a multifaceted one, with each facet raising additionalq uestions relating to both theory and practice. These include the following: • What traditional and new pedagogiesare evident in the 21st century? • What is the role of ICT in the teaching and learning process? • What ICT infrastructure is available in schools? • How can teachers and their administrators be prepared for effective practice? • How have these conditions and considerations changed since the first SITES survey in 1998? • What are the trends within and between national education systems? • What do the differences and similarities between these systems suggest? • How shouldchange be promoted in education in order to support teachers in their work? • Is there evidence that key strategic factors commonly found in ICT related educational policies do influence teachers’ pedagogical use of ICT? Because these questions are interconnected, the SITES 2006 researchers recognized that if we are to make sense of changes in pedagogical practicesas a result of IC T use, then we need to view those practices in terms of the interacting layers in the 22 education systems surveyed.

Tjeerd Plomp

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