Alignment between South African mathematics assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment frameworks
Date
2012-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AOSIS Publishing
Abstract
South Africa’s performance in international benchmark tests is a major cause for concern
amongst educators and policymakers, raising questions about the effectiveness of the
curriculum reform efforts of the democratic era. The purpose of the study reported in this
article was to investigate the degree of alignment between the TIMSS 2003 Grade 8 Mathematics
assessment frameworks and the Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS) assessment
standards for Grade 8 Mathematics, later revised to become the Curriculum and Assessment
Policy Statements (CAPS). Such an investigation could help to partly shed light on why South
African learners do not perform well and point out discrepancies that need to be attended
to. The methodology of document analysis was adopted for the study, with the RNCS and
the TIMSS 2003 Grade 8 Mathematics frameworks forming the principal documents. Porter’s
moderately complex index of alignment was adopted for its simplicity. The computed index
of 0.751 for the alignment between the RNCS assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment
objectives was found to be significantly statistically low, at the alpha level of 0.05, according
to Fulmer’s critical values for 20 cells and 90 or 120 standard points. The study suggests
that inadequate attention has been paid to the alignment of the South African mathematics
curriculum to the successive TIMSS assessment frameworks in terms of the cognitive level
descriptions. The study recommends that participation in TIMSS should rigorously and
critically inform ongoing curriculum reform efforts.
Description
Please cite as follows:
Ndlovu, M., & Mji, A. 2012. Alignment between South African mathematics assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment frameworks. Pythagoras, 33(3):1-9, (Art. #182), doi:10.4102/pythagoras.v33i3.182.
The original publication is available at http://www.pythagoras.org.za
Ndlovu, M., & Mji, A. 2012. Alignment between South African mathematics assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment frameworks. Pythagoras, 33(3):1-9, (Art. #182), doi:10.4102/pythagoras.v33i3.182.
The original publication is available at http://www.pythagoras.org.za
Keywords
Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa, Academic achievement -- South Africa
Citation
Ndlovu, M., & Mji, A. 2012. Alignment between South African mathematics assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment frameworks. Pythagoras,
33(3):1-9, (Art. #182), doi: 10.4102/pythagoras.v33i3.182.