The mathematics skills of school children: How does England compare to the high performing East Asian jurisdictions?

John Jerrim () and Alvaro Choi ()
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John Jerrim: Department of Quantitative Social Science, Institute of Education, University of London
Alvaro Choi: Institut d’Economia de Barcelona, University of Barcelona

No 13-03, DoQSS Working Papers from Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London

Abstract: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are two highly respected studies of school pupils’ academic achievement. English policymakers have been disappointed with school children’s performance on these tests, particularly in comparison to the strong results of young people from East Asia. In this paper we provide new insight into the England – East Asia gap in school children’s mathematics skills. We do so by considering how cross-national differences in math test scores change between ages 10 and 16. Our results suggest that, although average math test scores are higher in East Asian countries, this achievement gap does not increase between ages 10 and 16. We thus conclude that reforming the secondary school system may not be the most effective way for England to ‘catch up’ with the East Asian nations in the PISA math rankings. Rather earlier intervention, during pre-school and primary school, may be needed instead.

Keywords: : PISA; TIMSS; educational policy; primary education; secondary education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 I21 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-02-21
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-sea and nep-ure
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