In April, IEA led and contributed to a variety of sessions at both CIES and AERA/WERA. With a mixture of online and in-person participation, it was excellent to connect to new and existing colleagues.
CIES saw sessions from IEA using TIMSS 2019 data as well as a presentation on the first day by IEA Senior Research Officer, Lauren Musu, on citizenship education based on ICCS data. The first day of AERA and WERA provided opportunity for Co-Heads of Research and Analysis Unit, Sabine Meinck, Rolf Strietholt, and colleagues from IEA to present key findings from the Responses to Educational Disruption Survey (REDS). The data looks at how COVID-19 impacted systems across eleven countries with a focus on key thematic areas such as student and teacher well-being and how social-economic factors impacted students’ learning experiences during lockdowns.
IEA dove into trends from TIMSS data between 1980 and 2015 to give participants insights into the opportunities and challenges that come with combining international study assessments for country-level longitudinal analysis. Real-world examples were provided using TIMSS data to explore gender differences, and the effects of inequality and segregation. Thank you to IEA colleagues, University of Dortmund, and University of Gothenburg for leading the session.
Image: IEA and TU Dortmund presenters with Professor Erik Hanushek from Stanford University.
A WERA session was also held on the final day around digital advancements in TIMSS and PIRLS together with the TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center at Boston College. Both IEA studies picked up attention at the IEA booth at AERA, where our IEA Teacher Snippets were introduced for the first time.
On-site participants would have spotted that the IEA booth was transformed into a mini jungle with an array of plants to celebrate World Earth Day. With a focus on the environment and education, it is essential to reflect on how investing in education can help others to “Invest in Our Planet.” Executive Dirk Hastedt offered insights to the PIE based on findings from the TIMSS 2019 environmental awareness scale showcasing the importance of environmental awareness, especially as environmental awareness is increasing among education systems. Read the article here.