Key Findings

Mathematics achievement of New Zealand Year 9 students since 1994

• The average (mean) mathematics achievement of New Zealand Year 9 students in 2023 was lower than that of the students in 1994, but similar to other cycles (differences not statistically significant¹).
• The range (interquartile) of mathematics achievement among Year 9 students in New Zealand in 2023 was wide compared to earlier cycles and compared to high-performing and the English-speaking countries.
• While New Zealand’s mean achievement in mathematics hasn’t changed since 2019, only 3 countries had a significant increase in average score. Fourteen countries had a significant decrease in mathematics score in 2023 compared with the previous cycle.

Classifying New Zealand Year 9 students’ performances

• Eight percent of New Zealand Year 9 students were classified as advanced performers (reached the advanced benchmark) in 2023, while 20 percent were classified as below low performers who did not perform simple mathematical tasks.
• The proportions of Year 9 students reaching the advanced benchmark was significantly higher in 2023 compared with the pervious cycle in 2019, though there were no significant changes in any other benchmark.

Strengths and weaknesses of New Zealand Year 9 students within mathematics

• The area of statistics, known as the data and probability domain in TIMSS, continues to be a relative strength for Year 9 students in 2023, while algebra continues to be a relative weakness. Data and probability has been a relative strength for New Zealand learners since 2010, while algebra has been a relative weakness over the same time period.

TIMSS and the New Zealand mathematics curriculum

• When the TIMSS test was compared to curriculum expectations for New Zealand Year 9 students, 87 percent of the score points were considered relevant to mathematics in the NZC. That is, thirteen percent of the score points were considered more advanced than our curriculum.
• When analysis reduced the test to contain only those questions appropriate to New Zealand Year 9 students, the average mathematics score would not have improved by much and other lower secondary students in high-performing countries would still have done much better, on average, on the test.

Mathematics achievement of Year 9 boys, girls, and those who identified with another gender

• The average Year 9 boy has higher mathematics achievement than the average Year 9 girl and the average student of another gender.
• Other than the cycle in 2010, Year 9 girls and boys have had the same average mathematics achievement since 1994. This difference in 2023 occurred because of a significant increase in the average achievement of boys between 2019 and 2023. There was no significant change for girls between 2019 and 2023.

Footnote

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