Key Findings

Science achievement of New Zealand Year 5 students since 1994

• The average (mean) science achievement of New Zealand Year 5 students in 2023 was similar to that of the students in 1994 (difference not statistically significant¹) but was higher than the mean science score for each of the last four cycles since 2006.
• The range (interquartile) of achievement among Year 5 students in New Zealand in 2023 was similar to recent cycles but remains high compared to most of the English-speaking countries.
• While New Zealand’s mean achievement in science has increased, the mean achievement of other countries participating since 1994/95 has also increased, in some cases by much more.

Classifying New Zealand Year 5 students’ performances

• Ten percent of New Zealand Year 5 students reached the advanced benchmark in 2023, a significantly higher proportion than in the previous three cycles (2018, 2014, and 2011).
• Ten percent of New Zealand Year 5 students did not reach the low benchmark.

Year 5 students’ strengths and weaknesses in science

• The domain physical science was a relative weakness for New Zealand Year 5 students in 2023, consistent with some previous TIMSS assessments.
• Between 2018 and 2023, New Zealand Year 5 students’ scores significantly improved in all content domains (life science, earth science, and physical science) and the cognitive domains (knowing, applying and reasoning).

TIMSS and the New Zealand science curriculum

• When the TIMSS test was compared to curriculum expectations for New Zealand Year 5 students, 82 percent of the scale score points were considered relevant to science in the NZC. That is, eighteen percent of the scale score points were considered more advanced than our curriculum.
• When analysis reduced the test to contain only those questions appropriate to New Zealand Year 5 students, the mean science score was 520, a non-significant increase of only three scale score points compared with the overall mean science score of 517.

Science achievement of Year 5 boys and girls

• There was no statistically significant difference in the science achievement of the average Year 5 boy and Year 5 girl. This has been consistent across all eight cycles of TIMSS.
• The proportions of Year 5 girls and Year 5 boys reaching the high and advanced benchmarks are higher in 2023 than in the previous three cycles of TIMSS.

Science achievement of Māori Year 5 students

• There has been a significant increase in the average achievement of Māori students as well as the proportion reaching the intermediate, high, and advanced benchmarks since 2018.

Science achievement of Pacific Year 5 students

• The average science achievement of Pacific students has increased significantly since 2011, with a significant increase in the proportion of students reaching the advanced benchmark.

Science achievement of Asian Year 5 students

• There has been no significant change in the average achievement of Asian students since 2018, but average achievement and achievement at the high and advanced benchmarks have improved compared with 2014 and 2011.

Science achievement of Pākehā/European Year 5 students

• There has been a significant increase in achievement for Pākehā/European students compared with previous TIMSS assessments, including at the intermediate, high, and advanced benchmarks.

Science achievement of Year 5 students by socio-economic status

• Children in homes with many resources for learning had higher science achievement, on average, than those whose homes had fewer resources.
• In comparison to other countries, the difference in science achievement between students in more affluent schools and those in more disadvantaged schools within New Zealand was higher than many other countries in the TIMSS study – only six countries had higher differences, including the United States and Sweden.
• However, socio-economic status need not determine outcomes of education. There were higher-achieving and lower achieving students across all levels of socio-economic status.

Year 5 student attitudes to and engagement with science

• Around four-fifths of students enjoy learning science. Fewer New Zealand Year 5 students liked learning science compared with their international counterparts, on average.
• Nearly 40 percent of Year 5 students were not confident in their own ability to do science. Fewer New Zealand Year 5 students were very confident in their ability to do science compared with the international average.
• Most New Zealand Year 5 students had some confidence in their abilities to perform digital tasks. Those Year 5 students with high digital self-efficacy had higher science achievement than those with medium or low self-efficacy.

Year 5 student wellbeing at school

• More than half of New Zealand Year 5 students had a high sense of belonging at school, agreeing positively with statements about their school. There was, however, no relationship between science achievement and sense of belonging among New Zealand Year 5 students.
• New Zealand Year 5 students experienced bullying behaviours at school more frequently than most of the other participating countries, and more New Zealand students reported experiencing frequent bullying in 2023 than in 2018.

Footnote

1. The word 'significant' is used to describe statistical significance. Statistical tests show that these results are 95% certain.