Boys lift NZ higher in major international maths and science test

By John Gerritsen of RNZ

New Zealand’s scores in a major international maths and science test have increased for the first time in a decade, thanks to the efforts of this country’s boys.

The improvements in the Trends in International Maths and Science Study of 9- and 13-year-olds were because of boys' scores improving in all four tests, while girls' scores dropped in three tests.

It’s the first time since 2015 this country’s average scores have not fallen in any of the three big international studies – TIMSS, PIRLS and PISA – but this country remained well behind comparable nations like England and Australia.

New Zealand’s Year 5 students scored an average of 490 in their maths test, up from 487 in the 2019 round of testing, and 517 in their science test, up from 503.

Year 9s scored an average of 485 in their maths test, up from 482; and 502 in their science test, up from 499.

Although the scores were improvements on the previous round of testing, they were well below those of the top-performing nations.

In the maths test for Year 5s for example, Asian nations recorded the highest scores led by Singapore with an average of 615. England scored 552, Australia 525, and USA 517.

Average scores for Year 9 maths were Singapore 605, England 525, Australia 509, and USA 488.

In science, Singapore had the highest average scores at both year levels with 607 for Year 5s and 606 for Year 9s, while England’s averages were 556 and 531, and Australia’s 550 and 520.

Critically, the figures showed that by the time New Zealand children entered secondary school in Year 9, 20% did not meet the TIMSS benchmark for low achievement in maths.

The figure was similar to the international average of 19% but well behind Australia at 13% and England at 11%.

The figures showed a significant change for New Zealand in terms of gender differences.

In previous years, New Zealand’s boys and girls scored very similar marks in all four tests, but last year a gap emerged in maths and in Year 9 science with boys' scores improving and girls' scores dropping.

Only in Year 5 science did both boys' and girls' scores improve, taking the combined average to 517, New Zealand’s second-highest score ever for that test.

The results indicated New Zealand children’s scores would improve if they attended class more regularly and if those classes were more settled.

The results showed a strong link between attendance and achievement, which was significant given New Zealand’s regular attendance rates were worse than those of countries such as Australia and England.

The figures also showed New Zealand students were more likely to report a lot of disruption in their classes and their scores were lower as a result.

The 3% of New Zealand students who reported disruption in few or no lessons had an average score of 512, the 69% who reported disruption in some lessons scored an average of 501, while the 27% reporting disruption in most lessons had an average score of 475.

Internationally, 16% of students reported little disruption and 19% reported a lot of disruption in their lessons.

The results showed New Zealand children performed best on maths problems concerning data and probability, rather than other tested areas such as number, algebra and geometry and measurement.

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement ran the study. Executive director Dr Dirk Hastedt said several countries, including New Zealand, had an emerging gender gap, but it was not clear why.

“We see that a lot of countries have this gap emerging between 2019 and 2023. I wouldn’t say a majority but a good number,” he said.

Hastedt said New Zealand’s Year 9 results needed to be treated with caution because fewer schools participated in the tests than desired.

He said the level of absenteeism found by the study and its effect on students' results was disturbing.

The results showed the 13% of New Zealand Year 5s who said they were absent once a week had an average score of just 437, well below the average score of 496 for the 52% who said they were never absent.

Hastedt said the difference was worrying and warranted action.

“If students are not in school, they are not learning and that is what we see in these results,” he said.

Hastedt said that internationally the number of countries with improved results at Year 5 was slightly higher than the number with worse results, which was pleasing.

However, at Year 9 level, most countries' results were worse than in the previous round of testing.

Hastedt said the results showed students from poorer families had lower average results than those from well-off families.

He said students' enjoyment of a subject was linked to higher performance.

He said 31% of New Zealand Year 5 students said they did not enjoy maths, which was higher than the international average of 24%.

By Year 9, 46% of students internationally said they did not like learning maths.

Hastedt said he hoped people would use the figures to examine changes in countries' scores over time and not as a ranking mechanism.

“We have a lot of background information, you can see what makes differences,” he said.

“Also, for example, how much disadvantaged students with lower socioeconomic backgrounds, how they do compared to their peers in your country and other countries.”

- RNZ

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.