An investigation on eighth grade Kuwaiti students’ mathematical abilities on standardized assessment items

Curriculum, instruction and assessment are important components of the education system that are closely interrelated. Any investigation on one of these components should include the other two. Webb’s alignment model was used as a framework to guide the analysis of student work and the review of the Kuwaiti curriculum in this qualitative investigation. Kuwaiti eighth graders have been scoring lower than the international average in mathematics, across different cycles of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). However, Kuwaiti students’ performance in TIMSS tests has been inconsistent with their performance in Kuwait’s eighth grade standardized mathematics tests. Kuwait eighth graders’ mathematics scores and the international average on the TIMSS 2007 were used to narrow the focus of the case study and lead to the selection of the cognitive domain, reasoning, as the focus area. A sample of student work from a recent mathematics test administered in Kuwait and Kuwaiti eighth grade mathematics textbooks was examined in order to create three assessment items to be sent back to Kuwaiti for students to solve. Examining students’ responses to the assessment item revealed commonalities between male and female students, as well as differences. Both male and female students completed the terms correctly, however, while male students attempted to generalize a rule, the female students did not. The cognitive domain of students’ responses failed to reach the level reasoning, with the majority of responses at the level knowing. The investigation included reviewing Kuwaiti mathematics textbooks, leading to implications affecting teachers’ instructional practices and curriculum implementation that eventually impact students’ performance in assessments.