The latest TIMSS 2023 Insights report examines how closely mathematics and science curricula are aligned with what students are actually taught across participating education systems.
The curriculum-based design of TIMSS makes it possible to examine the relationship between the intended curriculum (what policymakers expect students to learn), the implemented curriculum (what students are taught), and the attained curriculum (student achievement outcomes). Using TIMSS 2023 data, the report explores this relationship, providing insights that other international assessments are not designed to capture.
The findings in the report show that alignment between intended and implemented curricula varies across subjects and content domains. In mathematics, alignment was strongest in the Number domain, while larger differences were observed in the Algebra and Data & Probability domains. In science, the greatest differences between intended and implemented curricula appeared in the Earth Science domain.
The report also highlights differences across countries. In some education systems, teachers reported coverage of a narrower range of topics than specified in national curricula, suggesting that curricular expectations are not always fully implemented in classroom practice.
These findings are especially relevant for policymakers and curriculum experts. They underscore the importance of not only designing ambitious curricula but also ensuring these curricula can indeed be implemented, and that teachers are properly supported in implementing intended mathematics and science content.