An important quality of an effective educator is the ability to explain subject content clearly and to determine learners’ understanding of the topic. Clear instruction enables learners to more effectively plan, set goals and acquire a stronger sense of how to judge their own progress. Fabian Arends uses grade 5 and grade 9 learner data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to investigate instructional clarity
from a learners’ perspective and its impact on learning outcomes

Homework has been found to influence achievement positively and improve the development of key learning skills. It is a crucial instructional practice for mathematics and science domains, where knowledge in these areas provides a foundation for lifelong success. Findings from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) confirm the importance of homework and parental support for homework. Jaqueline Harvey and Vijay Reddy discuss the findings for grade 9 learners.

Most of us have memories of that one, stand-out educator who sparked our love for a particular subject. The role that such educators play in providing quality education cannot be overemphasised. How educators interact with learners is critical to learners’ conceptual understanding and to their overall performance in mathematics. Fabian Arends discusses educator instructional quality and practices, looking at data related to grade 9 mathematics educators from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

Learners’ success does not begin on the first day of school – it is founded on early engagements facilitated by parents and caregivers. The learning environment that is created at home shapes children’s social and cognitive development, as well as their achievement and attitudes towards education. Sylvia Hannan and Andrea Juan use
grade 5 data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to explore the home context of South African primary school learners.

School climate can be thought of as the ‘quality and character of school life’ and has been positively associated with learners’ social-emotional adjustment and self-esteem, which is strongly linked to academic achievement. Based on data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Lolita Winnaar looks at how principals, teachers and learners perceive the climate of their schools and how this is associated with mathematics achievement.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MATTERS: THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPHASIS ON ACADEMIC SUCCESS

School principals are no longer seen only as managers and administrators but are expected to be instructional leaders – the facilitators of teaching and learning activities where the emphasis is placed on academic success. South African secondary schools function in disparate socioeconomic conditions, and principals in each distinct context face challenges that may require different leadership and management approaches. These challenges must be overcome while quality educational outcomes are strived for. Andrea Juan uses the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 grade 9 data for South Africa to examine instructional leadership and how its associated elements are expressed in different local contexts

The GENDERED COMPLEXITIES of school mathematics achievement: Girls outperforming or boys underperforming?

Boys scored higher or the same mathematics averages as girls in most of the countries that participated in the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2019). But this was not the case for South Africa. Vijay Reddy, Catherine Namome and Palesa Sekhejane explore gender achievement gaps in mathematics at grade 5 and grade 9 levels, also comparing secondary schools in the two most well-resourced provinces – Gauteng and Western Cape. They ask whether we should celebrate girls’ higher performance or be concerned about boys’ underperformance.

While there is clear agreement that proficiency in the language of testing will influence educational outcomes, we know less about how this relationship is influenced by the socioeconomic status of learners and the schools they attend. Vijay Reddy and Jaqueline Harvey use grade 9 data from the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to explore language dynamics in South Africa – nationally and in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces. They look at how the different conditions influence science achievement, a subject where language skills are important.

Over the past decades, South African learners have made strides in improving their educational achievement in mathematics and science. However, the rate of this improvement has shown signs of slowing and there is much work to do, especially after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Vijay Reddy looks at the history
of South Africa’s participation in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and how the country has fared.