Volume 1: Issue 7 TIMSS SA Newsletter – The Matric issue

February 2016
The January release of the matric results puts a spot light on the performance
of our learners and sparks debates about the health of the South African
education system. This month’s newsletter therefore focuses on aspects of the
matric results, as well as the debates which have surfaced surrounding learner
performance in general.
Published in: 2016
Keywords: Learner achievement / Matrics / South African school system
Volume 1: Issue 12 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Educational pathways and transitions

July 2016
In this month’s newsletter we focus on the pathways and transitions of South African students through the education
system. All of the resources included here seek to understand the various pathways and transitions which are followed
by students and the factors which affect them, in order to understand what is happening within our education and ...
Published in: 2016
Keywords: Education system / Educational pathways / Higher education / Labour market
Volume 1: Issue 11 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Making technology work

June 2016
Information and communication technology (ICT) in schools has been widely promoted on the basis that it has the
potential to improve and diversify learning. The South African government has recognised this fact in the 2004 White
Paper on e-education, as well as the Department of Basic Education’s Action Plan to 2019. In this month’s issue, we ...
Published in: 2016
Keywords: Information and communication technology (ICT) / Technology
Volume 1: Issue 10 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Miles to go: travelling to school in South Africa

May 2016
Many South African children, particularly those in rural areas, must travel long distances to get to school each day.
These journeys are associated with a host of challenges and dangers. In response to the many challenges which
learners encounter, the National Learner Transport Policy was introduced in 2015. We explore the challenges that
learne ...
Published in: 2016
Keywords: Rural education in South Africa / Transport / Travelling to school
Volume 1: Issue 6 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Insights into rural education and learner attitudes to science

December 2015
In this month’s blog, Lisa Wiebesiek provides insights into rural education in
South Africa, based on her extensive fieldwork experience in the Eastern
Cape and Kwazulu-Natal provinces. These reflections paint a picture of the
life of learners in rural communities and the importance of context specific
educational interventions.
Published in: 2015
Keywords: Rural education in South Africa / Science
Volume 1: Issue 5 TIMSS SA Newsletter – The role of assessments for educational improvement

November 2015
Tia Linda Zuze explores the increasing popularity of Asian afterschool learning programmes in South Africa. These programmes
incorporate useful resources from some of the educational
powerhouses of the world, but how applicable are they to the South
African context?
Published in: 2015
Keywords: Annual National Assessments / Education in South Africa
Volume 1: Issue 4 TIMSS SA Newsletter – How do we interpret our observations of education?

October 2015
The newest member of our team, Catherine Namome, provides an account of her
experiences doing quality assurance for TIMSS 2015 at a rural school in Gauteng.
Through her description, she highlights the importance of the relationship between
schools and their surrounding communities.
Published in: 2015
Keywords: Annual National Assessment / Rural education in South Africa / Schools serving poor communities / Science and the public
Volume 1: Issue 3 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Why are schools desperate to be digital?

September 2015
This month’s blog explores the increasing use of technology in
South African schools. Tia Linda Zuze examines the merits of
using technology, as schools are becoming “desperate to be
digital”; and considers whether this is an appropriate intervention
for improving the quality of education in the country.
Published in: 2015
Keywords: General Education and Training Certificate (GETC) / Inequality in South African education / School safety / Technology
Volume 1: Issue 2 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Are your children safe at school?

August 2015
In the second blog in our series, Sylvia Hannan addresses the question “Are your children safe at
school?”, through exploring the issue of school safety in South Africa, with a focus on the
prevalence of bullying.
Published in: 2015
Keywords: Bullying in school / School safety
Volume 1: Issue 1 TIMSS SA Newsletter – Beyond Benchmarks: 20 years of TIMSS

July 2015
Our national publication based on TIMSS data provides a measured assessment
of what has been achieved over the last 20 years based on the evidence
provided by TIMSS. It also redefines what ‘good’ progress means in light of
South Africa’s developmental pathway and recommends what evidence based
interventions can be considered as the next r ...
Published in: 2015
Keywords: Beyond benchmarks / Gender equality / Mathematics Education