Association of teacher characteristics on students’ mathematics performance in Hong Kong

• In Event: Assessment and social context in mathematics education

Proposal

Mathematics education facilitates life, helps connect with people of different cultural backgrounds, and prepares for global competitiveness in the age of globalization. The Vygotskyan Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) recognizes the role of teachers in scaffolding learning (Vygotsky, 1978). Against these backgrounds, it is worth understanding the association between teacher characteristics and students’ mathematics performance.

The current study analyzed the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 Hong Kong database. The TIMSS is a large-scale international assessment to examine the major trends in mathematics and science achievement among participating entities (Martin & Mullis, 2019). The assessment assesses students’ content and cognitive dimensions and aims to assist policymakers for educational interventions by producing them with reliable and valid results that can be compared across participating countries or education systems worldwide (Martin & Mullis, 2019; Wiberg, 2019). According to available literature, majority of entities participating in the TIMSS, including Hong Kong, have already reformed curricula based on the TIMSS assessment outcomes (Mullis et al., 2016) as this assessment allows comparative and longitudinal analyses of evidence-based data on students’ achievement on both temporary and long-term basis (Leung et al., 2020). Informed by earlier research, Hong Kong has organized mathematics contents and objectives progressively and thoroughly to meet the broader goal of mathematics curriculum (Leung et al., 2020). The publication and dissemination of earlier TIMSS data have impacted mathematics instruction, assessment, and curriculum reform processes in Hong Kong, and participating schools have continuously received valuable information on their students and students’ academic development (Leung et al., 2020). The current research is useful to add to the rich knowledgebase for further educational reform in relation to mathematics teaching and learning.

As TIMSS 2019 assessment results show a drop in mathematics achievement among Hong Kongese students, Hong Kong’s situation offers an opportunity for researchers to understand what teacher characteristics effect students’ mathematics achievement among school students.

While several studies have examined the relationship of teacher backgrounds on students’ mathematics outcomes, research is sparse to explain such a relationship. In the context of Hong Kong, although several predictors associated with students’ declining mathematics outcomes have been explored, only a few of them have interrogated the relationship of teacher-background factors on students’ mathematics achievement. Due to sparseness of pertinent research, evidence is insufficient to make definitive conclusions about the effects of teacher factors on students’ mathematics achievement. These problems warrant more robust research to understand the relationship and update the existing knowledgebase to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics, which is perceived as a complex but a valuable area of school-based education (see Fritz et al., 2019; Li & Schoenfeld, 2019).

So, this paper analyzed the association between teacher characteristics and eighth-grade Hong Kongese students’ mathematics scores using the ordinary least square (OLS) regression. The study answered the following research question: What is the relationship of teachers’ academic major, years of teaching (also “experience”), gender (also “sex”), age, and job satisfaction on eighth-grade Hong Kongese students’ mathematics scores in TIMSS 2019 when controlling for students’ gender and parental education variables?

Data for the analysis were derived from TIMSS 2019 Assessment cycle for Hong Kong. This researcher used STATA 2017 for data analysis. During the analysis, categorical data were transformed to construct a single regression line. Before conducting the OLS, the researcher examined the data to see if they meet the normality test. Also, examined was robustness and variance inflation factor.

Findings revealed statistically significant association between predictors – teachers’ specialization, age, gender, years of teaching, and satisfaction – and the dependent variable, students’ mathematics achievement. However, the association was weak in many cases, implying that more research is warranted to generalize the findings. Yet, findings are valuable, and they suggest that school administrators, educators, policymakers, and researchers attend to teacher-background variables as critical indicators associated with students’ mathematics performance among eighth-grade Hong Kongese students and students in similar other country contexts and/or education systems.

References
Fritz, A., Haase, V. G., & Rasanen, P. (2019). International handbook of mathematical learning difficulties (1st ed.). Springer.
Leung, F. K. S., Cheng, M. M. W., Yin, H. K., & Leung, R. K. M. (2020). Hong Kong SAR. In D. L., Kelly, V. A. S. Centurino, M. O. Martin, & I. V. S. Mullis (Eds.), TIMSS 2019 encyclopedia: Education policy and curriculum in mathematics and science. TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College. https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2019/encyclopedia/
Li, Y., & Schoenfeld, A.H. (2019). Problematizing teaching and learning mathematics as “given” in STEM education. International Journal of STEM Education, 6(44). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-019-0197-9
Martin, M. O., & Mullis, I. V. S. (2019). TIMSS 2015: Illustrating advancements in large-scale international assessments. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics 44(6), 752–781. https://doi.org/10.3102/1076998619882030
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Goh, S., & Cotter, K. (Eds.) (2016). TIMSS 2015 encyclopedia: Education policy and curriculum in mathematics and science. Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2015/encyclopedia/
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (1st ed.). Harvard University Press.
Wiberg, M. (2019). The relationship between TIMSS mathematics achievements, grades, and national test scores. Education Inquiry, 10(4), 328–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2019.1579626

Author

• Puskar Joshi, Texas A&M University