Alignment between South African mathematics assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment frameworks

dc.creator	Mdutshekelwa Ndlovu
dc.creator	Andile Mji
dc.date	2012-12-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:24:40Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:24:40Z
dc.identifier	1012-2346
dc.identifier	2223-7895
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/b4a5bf86dedf42f8b156f232f031c5c7
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/21222
dc.description	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.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	AOSIS OpenJournals
dc.relation	http://www.pythagoras.org.za/index.php/pythagoras/article/view/182
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1012-2346
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/2223-7895
dc.rights	CC BY
dc.source	Pythagoras, Vol 33, Iss 3, Pp 1-9 (2012)
dc.subject	mathematics curriculum
dc.subject	assessment standards
dc.subject	alignment
dc.subject	Revised Bloom's Taxonomy
dc.subject	TIMSS
dc.subject	Porter's alignment index
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics and Statistics
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics
dc.subject	DOAJ:Mathematics and Statistics
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.subject	Special aspects of education
dc.subject	LC8-6691
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Mathematics
dc.subject	QA1-939
dc.subject	Science
dc.subject	Q
dc.title	Alignment between South African mathematics assessment standards and the TIMSS assessment frameworks
dc.type	article