Singapore’s Primary 4 and Secondary 2 students continue to demonstrate strong competencies in Mathematics and Science literacy as well as problem-solving and scientific-inquiry skills, according to findings from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023, a study by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).
64 education systems participate in this study.
A representative sample of 6,530 randomly selected Primary 4 students and 4,772 Secondary 2 students across all 181 primary schools and 145 secondary schools in Singapore participated.
Our students have done better than their peers in all participating education systems, beating also their Asian counterparts in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.
The latest results reaffirm our students’ continued excellence in Mathematics and Science.
Our academically weaker students at both grades (Primary 4 and Sec 2) performed better than the international average in both subjects.
Our Primary 4 and Secondary 2 students did particularly well in “Applying” and “Reasoning” in both Mathematics and Science.
This demonstrates their ability to utilise mathematical and scientific concepts to navigate non-routine situations and solve complex problems.
Our students also demonstrated very strong environmental knowledge in key issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and conservation.
In addition, our students’ reported levels of digital self-efficacy are among the highest among same-grade peers internationally, reflecting their high confidence in using digital devices for various tasks (e.g., finding information and creating school presentations).
In a statement, MOE said, “Higher order thinking, environmental and digital literacy are important for our students’ ability to learn for life, innovate and take on future jobs. These results assure the Ministry of Education (MOE) that students are benefiting from our holistic STEM curriculum that emphasises hands-on and applied interdisciplinary learning.”
“It also shows that our dedicated teachers have adopted effective teaching approaches to support our diverse student population in the learning of Mathematics and Science. MOE will continue to work with schools and key industry partners to innovate and strengthen STEM education for our students,” the statement added.
