31 Jul 2014

A research and policy development officer with the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC), Dr Trust Masole, has said the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) findings indicate that Batswana learners find mathematics to be easier at lower levels and science to be easier at higher levels than mathematics.

Dr Masole was speaking at a two-day dissemination conference on TIMSS, Progress in International Reading Literary Study (PIRLS) and Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ III) in Francistown.

He said in science, 5 400 learners at form two took the tests and the average score was 404, which is above the international benchmark of 400 while in standard six 4 198 learners took the test and the average score was 367, which is below the benchmark.

In mathematics, Dr Masole said at form two, the average score was below the benchmark of 400 at 396 while in standard six, the average was above the benchmark at 419.He said although Botswana’s form two learners were position six after the best performing countries of Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Japan, they performed better than South Africa and Honduras in both mathematics and science. Dr Masole said Botswana’s standard six learners performed better than Honduras and Yemen only in mathematics.

He explained that the major objective of TIMSS and PIRLS projects was to assess the level of reading, learning mathematics and science and identifying factors that impact on teaching and learning.

The study was done in 63 countries and for a country to be allowed to participate in TIMSS, its curriculum should match International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement international framework by at least 70 per cent. In Botswana, 150 schools for each level participated in the study.

Botswana first participated in TIMSS in 2003, then 2007, 2011 and the next survey will be in 2015. The objective of the conference was to engage stakeholders in dialogue on the findings with the ultimate result being improvement of the education system. ENDS