Global TIMSS 2023 results reveal Singapore leading, France ranks last among EU countries

By Zehra Nur Celik

The results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023, conducted every four years by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) to assess the mathematics and science performance of 4th and 8th-grade students, have been announced on Wednesday.

The Launch of the TIMSS 2023 International Report and Results took place on Wednesday at the Museum of the Future in Dubai.

The live-streamed event highlighted new data from TIMSS 2023 that are relevant for policy and practice.

More than 650,000 students in 64 countries and six benchmarking systems around the world participated in TIMSS 2023.

These international results are an important resource for researchers, policymakers, and educators to monitor mathematics and science education worldwide.

Some key findings showed that substantial percentages of fourth- and eighth-grade students worldwide reach at least the low international benchmarks of mathematics and science knowledge in 2023.

Short-term trend results show greater differences in achievement between boys and girls in TIMSS 2023 compared to TIMSS 2019, particularly in fourth-grade mathematics.

There is a clear-cut relationship between home resources, and mathematics and science achievement for fourth- and eighth-grade students internationally.

More than 1 in 10 students internationally report being absent from school at least weekly.

Singapore was once again the highest performing country in both mathematics and science, at year 4 and year 8.

In year 4 mathematics, Singapore achieved a mean score of 615 points (a 10-point decrease from 2019). Other countries in the top 5 were: Chinese Taipei (607 points), Hong Kong and Korea (both 594 points), and Japan (591 points).

In year 4 science, Singapore topped the list of participating countries with 607 points (up from 595 in 2019); the rest of the top 5 were Korea (583), Chinese Taipei (573), Türkiye (570) and England (556).

In year 8 mathematics: Singapore was the top-performing country with 605 points (down from 616 in the previous assessment cycle), followed by Chinese Taipei (602), Korea (596), Japan (595) and Hong Kong (575).

In year 8 science: Singapore scored 606 points (slightly down on the 608 achieved by its students in the last TIMSS cycle), followed by Chinese Taipei (572), Japan (557), Korea (545), England and Finland (both 531).

- Türkiye achieves historic milestone

This year marked Türkiye’s best performance since it began participating in the study in 1999.

In Türkiye, a total of 282 schools and 9,466 students participated between May 2 and May 26, 2023.

The country ranked first among European countries and second among OECD nations in fourth-grade science, according to the TIMSS results.

In 4th-grade mathematics, Türkiye rose 11 spots among OECD member countries, ranking 4th.

- France's poor performance triggers debate

The TIMSS 2023 results place France at the bottom among EU countries and second worst performer among OECD countries after Chile in mathematics and science education, drawing attention to persistent issues within its education system. French students continue to score below the OECD average, sparking widespread debate in the country. Local media outlets have highlighted the results, describing them as a wake-up call for policymakers and educators.

French 4th graders scored an average of 484 points in mathematics, placing them below the OECD average of 525 points and ranking them 42nd out of 58 participating countries, Le Monde reports. In science, they achieved an average score of 488 points, also below the OECD average of 526 points.

Among 8th graders, French students attained an average score of 479 points in mathematics, positioning them 24th out of 44 countries and below the OECD average of 507 points. In science, their average score was 486 points, compared to the OECD average of 509 points.

These results indicate that 15% of French 4th graders do not meet the minimum proficiency level in mathematics, while 17% of 8th graders fall below the basic level in the same subject. Additionally, only 3% of French 8th graders reach an advanced level in mathematics, compared to an international average of 11%.

TIMSS 2023 marks the eighth cycle of the international mathematics and science assessment since the inauguration of the study in 1995.

Providing over 20 years of trend data, TIMSS has been a valuable tool for monitoring international trends in mathematics and science achievement at the fourth and eighth grades.