Centralized Curricula Content Coverage and Student Achievement in Mathematics and Science Education: Evidence from TIMSS

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Wednesday 7:45am
  In Poster Session: Insights from Large-Scale Assessments: Advancing Methods, Measurement, and Learning Opportunities

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between curriculum content coverage and student achievement in mathematics and science using international data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), covering over 100 countries/territories. Using a mediation model with fixed effects, it examines how the content covered in the centralized curricula (intended curriculum) influences student outcomes (attained curriculum) both directly and through classroom instruction (implemented curriculum). Findings show that greater content coverage in the intended curriculum is positively associated with achievement, with part of the effect mediated by the implemented curriculum. Results underscore the importance of aligning instruction with national curricula, suggesting that the success of curricular reforms depends on coherent implementation across multiple levels of the educational system.

Authors

• Marlen Holtmann, IEA Data Processing and Research Center

• Alec Kennedy, IEA Hamburg

• Rolf Strietholt, IEA Hamburg