The Opinions of Mathematics Teachers on Homework and In-Class* Assessment: TIMSS 1999 and TIMSS 2007 Periods

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare the responses to the common items regarding opinions about homework and in-class assessment in “TIMSS Mathematics Teachers’ Questionnaire” which were given by the mathematics teachers who participated to the TIMSS 1999 and TIMSS 2007 assessments. The sample from Turkey consists of 204 math teachers in TIMSS 1999 and 146 teachers in TIMSS 2007. The graphs which were generated from Mathematics Teachers’ Questionnaire data were compared in TIMSS 1999 and TIMSS 2007. Besides, the data were analyzed with z-test whether there were significant differences between the response percentages of the teachers’ opinions in TIMSS 1999 and 2007 periods. According to the findings, the frequency of homework, the amount of time to do homework and the giving frequency of type of homework such based on doing problem and routine exercises did not change, and checking homework and using homework as a contribution to student’ marks increased from 1999 to 2007. In addition, importance given by the teachers to the national-scaled exams and exams of their own has increased more in time.