Key findings: Trends in Year 5 achievement 1994 to 2006

Science

Trends in science achievement 1994–2006

The mean science achievement of New Zealand Year 5 students was about the same in 2006 as in 1994. Although results from 1994, 1998, and 2002, showed a steady increase, this trend did not continue in 2006 when the results returned to the 1994 levels. The range of New Zealand Year 5 science achievement was narrower in 2006 than in 1994, with fewer students demonstrating very high or very low achievement.

New Zealand science achievement in 2006 in an international context

New Zealand Year 5 mean science achievement was significantly higher than 13 of the 36 countries that participated at the middle primary level. A comparison with the other countries that have taken part in TIMSS across all three of the cycles shows that the mean science achievement of New Zealand Year 5 students has moved little in relation to these countries.

New Zealand science performance on content and cognitive domains

Year 5 students demonstrated a relative strength in earth science questions compared to life and physical science. Students also performed relatively better on questions that involved demonstrating knowledge compared to applying or reasoning.

Teacher reports on hours of science instruction

In 2006, teachers reported significantly fewer hours teaching science to New Zealand Year 5 students, on average, compared with 2002. The number of hours reduced from 66 per year in 2002 to 45 in 2006.

Student attitudes to science

New Zealand Year 5 students generally expressed positive attitudes towards science. Eight out of every ten students indicated that they would like to do more science in school. Those students who reported positive attitudes towards science or were confident in their own science abilities had higher achievement than those who were less positive or confident.

Science achievement and attitudes of girls and boys

There was no significant difference in mean science achievement between New Zealand Year 5 boys and girls. Boys and girls expressed similar attitudes to science, both in terms of enjoyment and motivation, and of self-confidence.

Science achievement and attitudes of students by ethnicity

Both high and low performers were found in all ethnic groupings. Pākehā/European and Asian students had, on average, significantly higher mean science achievement than their Māori and Pasifika counterparts. There was no difference in the average performance of Pākehā/European and Asian students. Māori students had significantly higher mean science achievement than Pasifika students.

More Pākehā/European students and students in the Other ethnic grouping reported high self-confidence in science compared with Asian, Māori, and Pasifika students. Proportionally more students in the Other ethnic grouping reported positive attitudes towards science compared with Pākehā/European, Asian, Māori, and Pasifika students.

Science achievement by student’s home background

Science achievement was higher, on average, among students who regularly spoke English at home. Students who were born in New Zealand had higher science achievement, on average, than those who were not.

Students from higher socio-economic backgrounds, using the proxy measures books in the home, items in the home, household size and mobility, tended to have higher mean science achievement than those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. In addition, the decile of the school they attended, indicative of the level of economic disadvantage in the community in which they live, was positively related to science achievement.