TIMSS 2015 Context Questionnaires

An important purpose of TIMSS 2015 is to study the home, community, school, and student factors associated with student achievement in mathematics and science at the fourth and eighth grades. To accomplish this purpose, data about the contexts for learning are collected through questionnaires completed by students, as well as their parents, teachers, and principals. In addition, National Research Coordinators provide information on the national and community contexts for learning through the Curriculum Questionnaire and their country’s entry in the TIMSS 2015 Encyclopedia.

Student Questionnaires

Each student participating in TIMSS 2015 completed a Student Questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about aspects of students’ home and school lives, including basic demographic information, their home environment, school climate for learning, and self-perception and attitudes toward learning mathematics and science. In countries teaching science as separate subjects at eighth grade, students completed a version of the Student Questionnaire with questions specific to each subject (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science).

Home Questionnaire (Early Learning Survey)

The parents or guardians of participating fourth grade students completed the Early Learning Survey, often referred to as the Home Questionnaire. The questionnaire asked about preparations for primary schooling, including attendance in preschool and literacy- and numeracy-centered activities in the home before the child began school, such as reading books, singing songs, or playing with number toys. Parents answered questions about home resources in addition to information about their highest level of education and employment situations.

Teacher Questionnaires

Teachers of the assessed classes responded to the Teacher Questionnaire. The questionnaire asked students’ teachers about their education, professional development, and experience in teaching. It also asked about coverage of the mathematics and science curriculum and about the instructional activities and materials used in the class of students selected for the TIMSS assessment.

School Questionnaires

The principal of each school sampled for TIMSS 2015 completed a School Questionnaire. Principals answered questions about student demographic characteristics, the availability of resources, types of programs, and environments for learning in their schools.

Curriculum Questionnaires

The TIMSS 2015 National Research Coordinator within each country was responsible for completing the Curriculum Questionnaire. Questions primarily centered on the organization and content of the curriculum in mathematics and science.

Download Questionnaires

Each of the TIMSS 2015 context questionnaires can be downloaded below.

The TIMSS 2015 Context Questionnaires are available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You may need to download a copy of Adobe Reader, to enable you to read and print the questionnaires.

Download the questionnaires:

Fourth Grade

Eighth Grade

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