Alarm Bells from TIMSS Results for the Quality of Education in Iranian Schools

The TIMSS 2023 results, which assessed fourth-grade students across 58 countries, revealed that Iranian students performed 'weakly' in science and 'unsatisfactorily' in mathematics. The assessments also conducted among eighth graders from 44 countries showed that their performance was not noteworthy either. This situation is particularly concerning as it indicates a decline compared to Iran's previous TIMSS results from 2019; thus, the academic decline of Iranian students has been a continuous trend in recent years. What is the reason for this academic decline, and why are students becoming less literate year after year? Is it due to flaws in the educational system and curriculum content, or do social and cultural factors also play a role in this situation? The TIMSS study (TIMSS) is an international assessment of educational progress in mathematics and science conducted every four years in various countries, evaluating fourth and eighth-grade students. The results of this study provide countries with the opportunity to compare their educational conditions with others, examining factors such as the quality of education, educational resources, teaching methods, and their relationship with student progress. Iran's status has declined compared to the previous TIMSS study conducted in 2019. At that time, Iran ranked 50th in fourth-grade mathematics with a score of 443 among 58 countries and 48th in fourth-grade science with a score of 441. The performance of these students was assessed as very weak. Iranian eighth graders also ranked 29th among 39 countries. In discussions with several students, teachers, and educational experts, we explored the reasons for this decline in student literacy, noting that interviewees requested anonymity, so the names mentioned in the report are pseudonyms. Students are becoming less literate year by year? Ms. Afsaneh, a high school math teacher, complains about students' illiteracy, especially after the COVID-19 period. According to her, some high school students struggle even with basic addition and subtraction or multiplication and division, making it very difficult to teach them mathematical concepts. She states, 'During the pandemic, online education was not only new but also difficult. Besides the fact that exams were accompanied by severe cheating, teachers also gave students grades with great leniency, and the result of that can be seen now.' She places a significant part of the blame on the students themselves, saying, 'The kids think math is not practical for them, while calculation is the simplest subject they deal with in everyday life.' TIMSS studies in mathematics include numbers, geometry, measurement, data, and probability, while the science section covers biology, physics, chemistry, and geology. This study examines foundational knowledge, the extent of knowledge application in practical situations, and the analysis and resolution of complex problems. This study was first conducted in 1995. One of the reasons for conducting TIMSS studies is to display the status of each country's educational system, which should be reformed if necessary. Given the declining trend in the results of Iranian students' tests, it seems that the educational system has no plans for reform. Regarding the 'Amin Plan' for the widespread presence of clerics in schools, what do we know? A problem named motivation. Mandana, a tenth-grade student, despite her grades not being less than 19.5, says she studies only out of fear of her family and does not want to lose her group of friends. She attributes her classmates' lack of motivation to the general malaise in society: 'Everyone thinks about what has happened to those who studied, so why would it happen to them? This may be due to the bad state of society that has demotivated everyone.' Mandana is also critical of the issue of school homogenization, stating, 'Schools try to eliminate students' creativity by making everyone similar.' However, when it comes to creativity, she has no ideas and says perhaps the school should have paved the way for it, which it did not. The stigma of illiteracy? Social media has not only been a means of communication but has also given rise to a new style of literature. Words and phrases were initially written in abbreviations and gradually led to the prevalence of misspellings. 'Courage' or 'Jurat'? Which is correct? For the new generation, this issue makes no difference. What matters is that the meaning is conveyed. Aydin is a teacher with students who not only cannot read correctly but also do not understand the meaning of many simple words. He blames the study method, which has shifted from 'reading books' to 'reading nonsense.' He states, 'This issue is not specific to students. The reading habit is in decline. Once it was said that writings should be Twitter-length - very short - to be read. Now it is said that even those are not read; they must be in audio or video format, and that too in the shortest time, perhaps under a minute or 30 seconds.' He also blames the educational system for failing to create the necessary attractions in content and form for students and keeping pace with them. Illiteracy as a label. Over the years, the responses to complaints about the impracticality of subjects and textbook content have usually been vague. Sometimes these complaints are attributed to students' laziness in studying, but these responses are neither convincing nor solve the issue. However, TIMSS studies show that the issue goes beyond shirking from studying. Subhan, an eighth-grade student, has grades between 12 and 15. Sometimes his grades drop even lower, but he has not experienced anything above this range for years. He states, 'It is true that every year students are labeled as illiterate, but the main culprits are the teachers and the curriculum system. Perhaps math, literature, and physics are important subjects, but the way they are taught is very wrong. Of course, if there is to be reform, the content of textbooks is such that it discourages and misleads students from reading. Remember that we are not supposed to use any of this content in the future.' This is a phrase that students constantly repeat: 'We are not supposed to use this content.' However, subjects like general knowledge or even literature have no connection to Newton's laws, physics formulas, or Le Chatelier's principle in chemistry. So why do they not progress in literature either and are even unable to read simple texts (not ornate poetry and prose)? Subhan says, 'We read what is useful for us now. That poetry and literature would be read fluently if it were useful for us.' He continues his speech in Korean and in verse, saying, 'We memorize poetry too, but not what you memorized or want to force us to memorize.' The sale of answer sheets for university entrance exams and final questions; from fraud to reality. A problem named the educational system. When sentences like 'the teacher does not teach properly' or 'the lessons are heavy' were considered excuses for students' laziness, it was thought that they were trying to blame the teachers. But now the situation has changed. Amir, a seventh-grade student, says, 'Fortunately, our parents have read these hard and impractical lessons and more easily accept that formulas are useless for us, or what does it mean to hate math? They had to endure the disastrous educational system and studying for the family, and they have seen the results. Therefore, they do not force us.' However, there are still many families who, with a thousand tricks and methods, only expect a score of 20 from their children. Ms. Mehrangiz, an educator and educational expert, agrees with Amir. She states, 'The educational system has always been one of the worst parts of this country. If the results were not evident 10 or 20 years ago, it was because children studied under family pressure or with the motivation to enter university. The previous generation, who were under parental pressure, have now taken on the role of parents themselves and are no longer willing to impose the same emphasis and insistence on studying on their children. Instead, they emphasize skill acquisition. The result is that the status of students from elementary school is unsatisfactory.' She points out the lack of motivation among students to enter university, saying, 'Once there was a significant difference between private and public universities, but now both are in a similar situation and are not qualitatively desirable. On the other hand, the economic and social status of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral graduates is evident to everyone, including the children. They either face unemployment or do not have a suitable economic status.' According to this educator and educational expert, social media has created a new world of opportunities for earning money. Money is a very important issue for the new generation, and they want to obtain it easily. However, those same networks have taken focus and attention away from children, causing them to pursue only superficial topics. Ms. Mehrangiz also states that the only reason a student might currently strive to study and achieve a high rank is to gain admission to a foreign university. As much as talented and educated individuals have left, the next generation is planning for migration from a younger age. This country is constantly becoming emptier and emptier. One of the most sloganized topics is nurturing the next generation, which is emphasized in the importance of education. However, the reality is that studies show this generation, alongside other major problems, faces educational challenges as well. In this situation, the results of the TIMSS test, as many educational experts have recently stated, are 'a wake-up call for Iran's educational system, and if fundamental reforms are not made, this downward trend could jeopardize the educational and social future of future generations.'