8th graders score high but don`t enjoy studying

The average scores of Korean eighth graders placed second in math and fourth in science in an international assessment of educational achievement.

Many of them lack self-confidence in the two subjects or do not enjoy learning, however.

About 230,000 students from 50 countries participated in last year`s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, developed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Some 5,448 Korean eighth graders from 150 schools took the tests.

Only Taiwanese students beat Koreans in average math scores. In the science evaluation, Korea came after Singapore, Taiwan and Japan, according to the 2007 study results unveiled Tuesday by the Amsterdam-based IEA.

Students from Singapore, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong have always topped the math scores in the quadrennial evaluation.

Korean eighth graders have kept their No. 2 spot in math since 1999, after coming third in the first TIMSS assessment in 1995.

In science, Koreans ranked fourth in 1995, fifth in 1999 and third in 2003.

The math and science questions for eighth graders cover number, algebra, geometry, data and chance, biology, chemistry, physics and earth science.

Korean students` average math score continued to rise in the quadrennial evaluation, from 581 in 1995 to 597 in 2007. Their average science score climbed from 546 in 1995 to 558 in 2003, but fell slightly to 553 last year.

The TIMSS also measures students` attitude toward the two subjects, a multidimensional construct that consists of self-confidence, the perceived value of math/science, enjoyment of math/science and motivation. Students were to mark the degree of their agreement to statements such as "I usually do well in mathematics," "I need mathematics to learn other school subjects," or "I would like to take more mathematics in school."

Despite their high averages, Korean students showed below-average self-confidence and enjoyment.

Only 29 percent of Korean students had a high degree of self-confidence in math, along with only 24 percent in science. Only 33 percent enjoyed learning math and 38 percent science.

American students showed the highest amount of self-confidence in learning both math and science. Singaporean students enjoyed them the most.

By Kim So-hyun

(sophie@heraldm.com)

[출처 : 코리아헤럴드]