TIMSS 2014/15 Data Services

TIMSS 2014/15 is the sixth in a cycle of studies designed to measure trends in science and mathematics achievement at the middle primary and lower secondary levels. For this cycle of TIMSS, New Zealand tested Year 9 and Year 5 students in October and November 2014. The students in the Northern Hemisphere countries were tested towards the end of their school year around May 2015.

TIMSS Key Facts

Key Facts: TIMSS 2014/15

When: October and November 2014 for Year 5 and Year 9 students in New Zealand.

Who: 6,321 Year 5 students, 3,424 parents, 460 Year 5 teachers and 167 schools (represented by school principals) took part in the study at the Year 5 level and 8,101 Year 9 students, 865 Year 9 teachers and 137 schools (represented by school principals) participated at the Year 9 level in New Zealand.

What: Assessment in mathematics and science, with background information also collected.

How: Conducted under the auspices of the IEA; managed internationally by Boston College; and managed within New Zealand by the Ministry of Education .

Where: 57 countries and 7 benchmarking entities (regional jurisdictions of countries such as states or provinces) from around the world participated in TIMSS 2014/15.


The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is conducted on a four-year cycle. The first study was administered in participating countries in 1994 and 1995.

This cycle of TIMSS assessments provides detailed information about mathematics and science in the New Zealand Curriculum, the curriculum implementation, instructional practices, and school resources over a 20-year period. TIMSS 2014/15 was conducted in the following timeline:

  • TIMSS 2014/15 initiation in February 2013.
  • Field test Year 5 and Year 9 contextual questionnaires and assessment materials in March/April 2014.
  • Main data collection for Year 5 and Year 9 in October and November 2014.
  • The international reports for both Year levels released in November 2016, followed by the international database and user guide in February 2017.

TIMSS 2014/15 Questionnaires

As well as the test itself, students were given a questionnaire containing questions about themselves, their opinions about learning mathematics and science, their computer use, and learning at home. Parents' of Year 5 students, school principals and teachers were also given questionnaires in order to gain further information about the context in which the mathematics and science teaching and learning take place. Below are links to each of these questionnaires for each of Year 5 and Year 9.

Questionnaires

Released Test Booklets and Companion Scoring Guides

If New Zealand teachers would like to know how their students perform compared to the students that participated in TIMSS, some of the test booklets are now available. Also available are scoring guides for those questions that also contain information on what proportion of New Zealand students correctly answered the question.

Released Test Booklets and Companion Scoring Guides are now available on request. Please contact:

Robyn Caygill
TIMSS National Research Co-ordinator
Comparative Education Research Unit
Analysis and Research Group
Ministry of Education, P O Box 1666
Wellington 6140
New Zealand

Email:   TIMSS Mailbox
Phone: 64-4-463 8000