Discusses six issues faced by members of the Effective School Improvement project carried out in eight European countries. After posing questions that need further resolution, the article concludes that at this moment caution is advisable before transferring the findings from one context to the other. (SLD)

Studied reference processes in within-class grouping for elementary school students in the Netherlands in homogeneous (n=16) and heterogeneous (n=14) classes. Findings indicate that homogeneous grouping sets strong reference processes in motion, and processes of comparison have considerably greater effects in homogeneous groups, with negative…

Studied the development of early numeracy in 207 5- to 7-year-old Flemish children compared with 299 Dutch peers. Results suggest that the Early Numeracy Test (J. van Luit and others, 1994) is moderately reliable and has construct validity. Flemish children lagged at the first assessment but caught up by the third in the middle of the first year…

Used the mathematics of cooperative multiperson game theory to analyze the relative strengths of various representative groupings on three models of school governing bodies loosely based on school types in Northern Ireland. Findings contribute to understanding of the distribution of power in committee-like structures. (SLD)

Studied the impact of ability grouping on attainment in a cohort of year-9 students in 45 mixed secondary schools in England representing a variety of grouping practices. In mathematics, students at higher levels by year 6 make more progress in sets, but those in lower levels make more progress in mixed ability classes. Discusses educational…

Introduces the articles of this theme issue, which cover a wide variety of questions and problems relevant to research using findings of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The articles have in common that most try to determine the degree to which certain factors influence student achievement. The focus is on five…

Used data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to document cultural differences in what constitutes school mathematics. Explored intended, potentially implemented, and implemented curricula in participating countries. Findings show the many ways to structure eighth-grade mathematics. (SLD)

Conducted an analysis of achievement on the fourth and eighth grade mathematics and science results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to identify the mathematics and science content knowledge and understandings associated with the TIMSS. Two 10-member panels of experts studied each country's benchmark descriptions…

Using a structural equation model, this study investigated the mathematics achievement of eighth graders in Cyprus enrolled in the year 1994-1995. The model considered two exogenous constructs related to student background and five endogenous constructs. Although attitudes, teaching, and beliefs had direct effect on mathematics outcomes, these…

Results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and other measures of achievement show that the achievement of Danish students is below the international TIMSS average when considered by age, but above the TIMSS average when considered by grade. Discusses results in the context of the later entrance to school in Denmark…

Studied reasons for the high achievement students from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Questionnaire data provided by students participating show that the superior results of these students may have come at the expense of other aspects of student development. Results…

Studied reasons for the decline in mathematics and science achievement shown by Hungarian students who participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in comparison with student achievement before 1991. Findings suggest an emphasis on items requiring awareness of traditional disciplines in the Hungarian curriculum,…

Studied how attitudinal and instructional variables differed for students in Cyprus, Hong Kong, and the United States and how these variables were related to mathematics performance on the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). (SLD)

In this article, we examine the behaviors and contrasting perspectives, attitudes, and expectations of three sets of stakeholders--school personnel and the two communities of parents that represented equal portions of the population at an elementary school that had recently undergone substantial restructuring resulting from a desegregation order.…

Using a new method to measure identity, we attempt to capture salient identities of young children developing into "good students." Using a nationally representative sample of American kindergarteners who advance to the first grade, derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, we examine identities based on socio-economic status, motor…