Irish students among the best at maths and science, international study finds

Ireland is the highest scoring country in the EU when it comes to maths, but a number of countries outside the bloc, including England and Northern Ireland, score better. File Picture.

Irish students are performing relatively well at maths and science compared to our international neighbours but a gap remains between our highest achieving students and their counterparts in different countries.

The latest round of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) suggests that the most academic students here still lag behind the highest achievers in other countries.

The latest round of the international assessment has been published by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) this morning.

Taking place every four years, the test measures students' performance in maths and science at both second class and second year, as well as their international equivalents.

More than 8,500 students in almost 300 schools around the country took place in the latest TIMSS, carried out in 2019.

Overall, 672,000 students in 64 countries took part, with 33 countries, including Ireland, assessed at both primary and second level.

Findings suggest that Ireland is the highest scoring country in the EU in maths, at both second level and in primary school.

However, Northern Ireland and England both scored higher in the subject than Ireland. Ireland was also significantly outranked by Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and the Russian Federation.

In science, Ireland also scored highly when compared to most other countries, but was outranked by 12 other countries.

In maths, students showed strengths when it came to the meaning and use of numbers but weaknesses when it came to data and geometry.

In science, students showed relative strengths in earth science topics, an area that includes aspects taught as geography in Ireland, and a relative weakness in physical science.

Ireland was also one of 27 countries that did not record a statistically significant difference between the scores of young men or women.

Lower-achieving students at both levels here performed better than the average of all students taking the test, the assessment suggests.

However, a “concentrated effort” will be required to improve the performance of higher-achieving students, according to Norma Foley, the education minister.

“This is in line with the commitment in the programme for government to implement a strategy to support gifted and talented students at both primary and post-primary levels," she said.

Ms Foley welcomed the publication of TIMSS, which she said showed Ireland maintaining its strong performance in the international assessment.

We must provide high-quality continuing professional development for teachers which incorporates a specific focus on extending ‘higher-achieving’ students, dedicated resources, and on promoting skills in mathematics and in science to include digital learning skills. 

The ERC is to publish follow-up reports throughout 2021, which it says will provide a more detailed analysis of Irish performance in the assessments, including contextual information from students, parents, teachers, and principals.

“These will identify factors, including home environment support; school composition and resources; teachers’ preparation and classroom practice; and student engagement, which may have impacted on students’ performance.”