DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.172015.5 ISSN: 2046-1402

Closing the Gap in Early Mathematics: Domain and Cognitive Insights from TIMSS 2023 in South Africa and Singapore

Mathelela Steyn Mokgwathi
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Background South Africa continues to underperform in primary mathematics, yet overall mean comparisons obscure the distribution of achievement differences across mathematics content and cognitive domains. This study examines domain-specific patterns of mathematics achievement using data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023, benchmarking South African Grade 5 learners against Singaporean Grade 4 learners assessed on the same TIMSS Grade 4 mathematics framework. Methods A quantitative secondary analysis was conducted using nationally representative TIMSS 2023 datasets comprising 10,424 South African learners from 285 schools and 6,530 Singaporean learners from 181 schools. South Africa assessed Grade 5 learners using the TIMSS Grade 4 mathematics instruments, reflecting its approach of assessing learners at a higher grade to achieve a closer match between TIMSS content and national curriculum coverage. Mathematics achievement was analysed across content domains (Number, Measurement and Geometry, Data) and cognitive domains (Knowing, Applying, Reasoning). Weighted estimates, replicate-based variance estimation, and effect sizes (Cohen’s .) were computed in accordance with IEA technical guidelines. The analysis is descriptive and comparative rather than causal. Results South African learners performed substantially below the international centre point across all domains. The largest content-domain gap relative to Singapore was observed in Measurement and Geometry, while the largest cognitive-domain gap occurred in Knowing. Although Applying was relatively stronger within the South African profile, it remained substantially below benchmark levels. Substantial achievement differences were evident across all content and cognitive domains, with the largest descriptive differences observed in Measurement and Geometry and Knowing. Conclusions Substantial achievement differences were evident across all mathematics content and cognitive domains, with comparatively larger differences observed in Measurement and Geometry and Knowing. The results provide a structured diagnostic profile of domain-specific achievement disparities, highlighting variation across mathematics content and cognitive domains.

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