Trends in TIMSS responses over time: evidence of global forces in education?

Abstract

In this article, the influence of global processes on international mathematics curricula as evidenced by item responses to 3 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) administrations (1995, 1999, and 2003) is considered. Based on Dale's ( 2000 Dale, R. 2000. Globalization and education: Demonstrating a “common world educational culture” or locating a “globally structured educational agenda”?. Educational Theory, 50(4): 427–448. [Crossref] [Google Scholar] ) argument, we set out to test 2 plausible impacts of global processes on education. It was hypothesized that a harmonization of educational policy (and thus curriculum) should be noticeable as increased similarity within educational outcomes. Using hierarchical cluster analysis and nonlinear principal component analysis, this paper attempts to address the following research questions: To what extent have students' responses on TIMSS become more similar over time; and, what do these changes suggest about 2 theories of globalization in education? Findings suggest that extranational forces appear to manifest regionally as opposed to globally.