HSRC - Integrated Annual Report 2016/2017

HSRC Annual Report 2016/17

Using the results from the Skills Supply and Demand Report, the LMIP was requested to give testimony before the

Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training. The HSRC was identified as an important organisation that

can assist the Fees Commission in addressing challenges in the light of the research it has conducted over the years.

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015

The TIMSS was first conducted in South Africa in 1995, and every four years thereafter (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and

2015). Thirty six countries participated at the Grade 8 or 9 levels in TIMSS 2015. TIMSS 2015 provides the opportunity

for South Africa firstly to estimate its achievement in relation to other countries, and secondly to monitor changes in

educational achievement. In TIMSS 2015, South Africa also participated at the Grade 5 level. This study set the baseline

for mathematics/numeracy performance at the intermediate phase.

Over the 20-year period, the South African mathematics and science achievement at the Grade 9 level improved from a

‘very low’ level in 1995, 1999 and 2003 to a ‘low’ level in 2011 and 2015. This shows that educational change is possible,

but the pace of change, especially in no-fee schools, must be accelerated if South Africa is to have the requisite skills and

capacity to meet the societal and economic needs of the future. One of the major achievements is the observation that

South Africa has shown the largest improvement in mathematics and science scores of all countries who participated

in TIMSS 2003 and 2015 (albeit from a low base).

The TIMSS 2015 results were distributed widely and had a substantial impact in political, policy and public spaces.

The HSRC released the TIMSS 2015 results for South Africa in the Grade 9 and Grade 5 levels at the Department of Basic

Education (DBE) on 29 November 2016 with the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Angie Motshekga. The two Highlights

Reports on the 2015 TIMSS Grade 9 study and the 2015 TIMSS-Numeracy study were released. TIMSS scores (mentioned

both in the DBE Action Plan and the Presidential Monitoring Targets) are the only instrument that provides trend data

and the TIMSS 2015 scores at the Grade 9 level provide achievement trends from 2003, 2011 and 2015 and evidence

that there are changes in educational performance and quality. This was the first time that South Africa participated

in TIMSS-Numeracy at the primary school phase and TIMSS 2015 at the Grade 5 level provides baseline information.

The release and results were communicated through the TIMSS-SA website:

, and on Twitter and

Facebook.

The TIMSS results formed the basis of a keynote address at the National Strategy for Learner Attainment Lekgotla, hosted

by the DBE in January 2017. The audience of 450 people represented all provinces, unions and other stakeholders.

South Africa conducts the TIMSS surveys to contribute to knowledge production and inform policy debate. On 22 March

2017, the ESD Research Programme, in collaboration with the Research Impact Assessment Unit, hosted a successful

policy roundtable titled “Towards a more equal society: Perspectives of Educational Inequality in South Africa – A

Conversation between Evidence and Policy”

Using data from the 2011 and 2015 rounds of the TIMSS, the aim of the

roundtable was to contextualise mathematics and science achievement within the broader South African landscape

of inequality and poverty.

One of the major successes relating to dissemination of TIMSS results was the participation of the TIMSS team in the

DBE’s provincial engagements for 2017 in all nine provinces. The TIMSS team accompanied the DBE Director-General to

meetings with provincial senior managers (chief directors, district directors, chief education specialists for management

and governance, curriculum co-ordinators, and circuit managers) as well as school principals. Participation at these 25

meetings ranged between 500 and 1 500 officials per meeting. This was a very valuable opportunity and by the end of

the engagements we reached 4 979 provincial and district officials and 23 568 principals.