Average science scores of 4th- and 8th-grade students, by sex and country: 2003

International Comparison of 4th- and 8th-Grade Performance in Science

Table 12-1. Average science scores of 4th- and 8th-grade students, by sex and country: 2003

	Grade 4				Grade 8
		Sex				Sex
Country	Total	Male	Female	Male-female difference¹	Total	Male	Female	Male-female difference¹

International average²	489*	488	489	-1	473*	477	471	6
Armenia	437*	432	441	-9	461*	455	468	-13
Australia³	521*	519	522	-4	527	537	517	20
Bahrain	—	—	—	†	438*	423	453	-29
Belgium-Flemish	518*	519	518	1	516*	528	505	24
Botswana	—	—	—	†	365*	366	364	2
Bulgaria	—	—	—	†	479*	487	470	16
Chile	—	—	—	†	413*	427	398	29
Chinese Taipei	551*	555	548	7	571*	572	571	1
Cyprus	480*	484	477	7	441*	440	443	-4
Egypt	—	—	—	†	421*	421	422	-1
England³	540	538	542	-4	—	—	—	†
Estonia	—	—	—	†	552*	551	554	-3
Ghana	—	—	—	†	255*	271	236	35
Hong Kong SAR^3,4	542	541	544	-3	556*	561	552	9
Hungary	530	533	527	6	543*	556	530	26
Indonesia⁵	—	—	—	†	420*	426	415	11
Iran, Islamic Republic of	414*	406	426	-20	453*	453	454	-1
Israel⁶	—	—	—	†	488*	498	479	20
Italy	516*	517	514	3	491*	496	486	10
Japan	543*	545	542	3	552*	557	548	9
Jordan	—	—	—	†	475*	462	489	-27
Korea, Republic of	—	—	—	†	558*	564	552	12
Latvia	532	529	534	-6	512*	516	509	7
Lebanon	—	—	—	†	393*	395	392	3
Lithuania⁵	512*	513	513	#	519*	522	516	6
Macedonia, Republic of⁶	—	—	—	†	449*	445	454	-8
Malaysia	—	—	—	†	510*	515	505	10
Moldova, Republic of	496*	490	503	-12	472*	468	477	-8
Morocco⁶	304*	303	306	-2	396*	403	392	11
Netherlands³	525*	529	521	8	536	543	528	15
New Zealand	520*	517	523	-6	520	525	515	9
Norway	466*	466	467	-1	494*	498	490	8
Palestinian National Authority	—	—	—	†	435*	428	441	-13
Philippines	332*	324	339	-15	377*	374	380	-7
Romania	—	—	—	†	470*	474	465	9
Russian Federation	526	526	527	-1	514*	519	508	11
Saudi Arabia	—	—	—	†	398*	391	407	-16
Scotland³	502*	508	496	11	512*	517	506	12
Serbia	—	—	—	†	468*	471	465	6
Singapore	565*	565	565	-1	578*	579	576	3
Slovak Republic	—	—	—	†	517*	525	508	18
Slovenia	490*	490	491	-1	520	524	517	7
South Africa	—	—	—	†	244*	244	242	2
Sweden	—	—	—	†	524	528	521	8
Tunisia	314*	312	316	-4	404*	416	392	24
United States^3,6	536	538	533	5	527	536	519	16

— Not available.
† Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
* Significantly different from the United States (p<.05).
¹ Difference is calculated by subtracting the average for females from the average for males using unrounded numbers.
² At the 8th-grade level, the international average reported here differs from that reported in Martin et al. (2004) because England was deleted from the international average for not satisfying guidelines for sample participation rates.
³ Met international guidelines for participation rates in 2003 only after replacement schools were included. England at grade 8 did not meet international guidelines for participation rates even after replacement schools were included.
⁴ Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China.
⁵ National desired population does not cover all of the international desired population.
⁶ Country did not meet international sampling or other guidelines in 2003.
NOTE: Countries were required to sample students in the upper of the two grades that contained the larger number of 9- and 13-year-olds. In the United States and most countries, this corresponds to grades 4 and 8. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. See supplemental note 5 for more information on this study.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2004). Highlights From the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 (NCES 2005–005), tables 8, 9, C1, C2, C17, and C19 and previously unpublished tabulation (November 2004). Data from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), TIMSS 1995, 1999, and 2003 assessments.

NCES Headlines