Science achievement: primary schooling

How We Are Going

There was a significant improvement in New Zealand Year 5 students' science performance over the period 1994 to 2002 but in 2006 this dropped back to 1994 levels.  In 2006, the mean performance for New Zealand Year 5 students (504) was statistically similar to the TIMSS Scale Average (500).

The spread of scores, from the 5th to the 95th percentiles, reduced between 1994 and 2006. Most of this reduction results from an improvement in the scores of the lowest performing students, with the 5th percentile increasing from 310 to 344.

Figure 1: Distribution of New Zealand Year 5 science achievement in TIMSS from 1994 to 2006

Notes:  For trend purposes, only students tested in English are included in the results for 2002.
           Standard error are presented in paretheses.

The international science benchmarks are four points on the science scale; the advanced benchmark (625), the high benchmark (550), the intermediate benchmark (475), and the low benchmark (400).  The performance of students reaching each benchmark is described in relation to the types of questions they answered correctly. Note that the proportion shown for the low benchmark also includes students who performed at the advanced, high, and intermediate benchmarks. This is because, by definition, students who could do the more complex questions associated with, for example, the high benchmark, would also be able to complete the easier questions associated with the intermediate and low benchmarks.

Eight percent of students reached the advanced benchmark in 2006, which was significantly fewer than in 1998 and 1994. While the proportion of students reaching the advanced benchmark peaked in 1998 (12%), the proportion of students reaching the high, intermediate and low benchmarks peaked in 2002 (39%, 74%, and 92% respectively). Thirteen percent of New Zealand Year 5 students did not reach the lowest TIMSS benchmark. In terms of the benchmark definitions, these were students who did not demonstrate some elementary knowledge of life science and physical science.

Figure 2: Percentage of New Zealand Year 5 students reaching the TIMSS science benchmarks (2006)

New Zealand Year 5 students’ mean performance in science was significantly higher than 13 of the 36 countries that also tested at Year 5 level but was significantly lower than 21 countries including Singapore, England, the United States, and Australia. New Zealand’s mean science achievement was not significantly different from that of students in Scotland.

The TIMSS science content area scores were calculated separately from the overall science score.  These consisted of 3 areas: Life Science, Physical Science and Earth Science¹.  New Zealand Year 5 students achieved significantly above the TIMSS Scale Average in Life Science and Earth Science and statistically similar to the TIMSS Scale Average in Physical Science.

Table 2: New Zealand Year 5 students' mean science scores in TIMSS, by gender (1994 to 2006)

Year	Mean (Standard Error) - Girls	Mean (Standard Error) - Boys	Mean (Standard Error) - Overall
1994	511 (4.8)	499 (7.0)	505 (5.3)
1998	511 (5.9)	518 (6.6)	514 (5.9)
2002	526 (3.2)	521 (2.3)	523 (2.3)
2006	506 (2.8)	502 (3.5)	504 (2.6)
Note: Data for the small proportion of students assessed in Māori in 2002 (~2%) are excluded from this table to ensure comparability with data reported for 1994, 1998 and 2006.

The mean achievement of Year 5 girls and boys was about the same in 2006 as in 1994. As was the case in the previous assessments, there was no significant difference between Year 5 girls’ and boys’ mean performance.  In terms of content area scores in TIMSS 2006, boys scored significantly higher than girls in Earth Science while girls scored significantly higher than boys in Life Science.

Table 3: New Zealand Year 5 students' mean science scores in TIMSS by ethnic group (1994 to 2006)

Year	Mean (Std Error) European/Pākehā	Mean (Std Error) Māori	Mean (Std Error) Pasifika	Mean (Std Error) Asian	Mean (Std Error) Other	Mean (Std Error) Overall
1994	534 (3.9)	457 (12.0)	441 (14.9)	493 (16.7)	521 (14.2)	505 (5.3)
1998	541 (4.8)	478 (8.0)	436 (13.8)	517 (10.0)	497 (23.0)	514 (5.9)
2002	532 (3.0)	496 (5.2)	496 (5.2)	529 (4.2)	536 (9.9)	523 (2.3)
2006	528 (2.3)	459 (4.9)	431 (5.4)	529 (6.8)	502 (6.7)	504 (2.6)
Note: Data for the small proportion of students assessed in Māori in 2002 (~2%) are excluded from this table to ensure comparability with data reported for 1994, 1998 and 2006.