The data on Armenia's participation in the TIMSS 2023 study were discussed at the Assessment and Testing Center led by ESCS Minister Zhanna Andreasyan.

ESCS Deputy Minister Araksia Svajyan, ATC Director Armen Pashayan, NCET Director Artak Poghosyan, Head of the Inspection Body Vagharshak Matikyan, MESCS and ATC representatives attended the meeting.

Minister Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized the significance of data on the educational system in TIMSS studies, pointing out that they are important indicators for assessing the outcomes of educational reforms, hence, they are of great importance.

“The TIMSS study has collected a significant amount of data regarding schools, students, and teachers in Armenia, and the efficiency of their further use is crucial. The study data is useful for decision-making and policy development because, on the one hand, it helps to better understand the situation, and on the other hand, it provides an opportunity to apply it in our work to improve the quality of education,” said Zhanna Andreasyan, adding that this year our country will also participate in the PISA research, which is a means of acquiring new data.

Arsen Baghdasaryan, ATC Deputy Director, and National Coordinator of the TIMSS study, presented the historical origins of the TIMSS study, the principles of its conduct, the methodology, and the data on Armenia's participation in the TIMSS 2023 survey with a video slide show.

TIMSS is an international study for assessing educational results that enables a participating country to understand the current state of the education system, compare progress with other countries, and identify existing issues. With a four-year cycle, the research was conducted for science and math students in the fourth and eighth grades: one study cycle is 4 years. In total, Armenia has participated in 6 TIMSS studies. Our country's participation is only for 4th-grade students.

“The trends in Armenia's math scores have improved significantly, with our students scoring 513 points out of the world average of 502. It is noteworthy that the data for girls and boys are nearly identical. The indicators of natural sciences are still lagging behind: the global average is 494, the data for our country is 457,” noted Deputy Director of the Assessment and Testing Center, TIMSS National Research Coordinator Arsen Baghdasaryan, presenting the results of the study.

According to Arsen Baghdasaryan, four questionnaires are also used in TIMSS research: for teachers, students, principals and parents. Student questionnaires address a child's integration into school, incidents of bullying, attitudes toward math, as well as safety and discipline.

Referring to the TIMSS 2023 study, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan highlighted the need for a separate study to address teaching and learning challenges in Natural Sciences subjects:

“Natural Sciences subjects should be studied separately to understand what issues we face that can be solved within the framework of the state standard for general education, considering the issue in regard to fostering professional skills. Clear proposals should be presented based on the outcome of the data analysis,” said the Minister. According to her, as for mathematics, particular emphasis should be given to the proportion between knowledge and its application, so that there is no gap in the transition from elementary to middle school level.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided to form a working group with the participation of stakeholders, which will analyze the outcomes of TIMSS 2023, outlining the list of scheduled actions accordingly. Taking into consideration the resources and priorities, the Minister instructed to map out the successive steps and submit proposals to execute improvements in the education sector. It was also suggested to consider the participation of the 8th grade in TIMSS studies.

During the discussion, a reference was made to Armenia's participation in the PISA 2025 international study.