Page 104 - Kukanja Gabrijelčič, Mojca, and Maruška Seničar Željeznov, eds. 2018. Teaching Gifted and Talented Children in A New Educational Era. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 104
ra Pejić Papak, Jasna Arrigoni, and Željka Ivković
Fourth and eighth grade pupils achieved a mathematics result at the level of
TIMSS world average, and in science a statistically significantly higher score
(533 points) than the survey average. More importantly, this result is higher
than the result achieved in science for the year 2011. In this regard, the re-
sult of this test in 2015 is marked as a positive shift towards higher values,
i.e. it speaks about better preparedness of our pupils in the fields of science
and mathematics. The TIMSS research provides a set of research problems
in such a way that, in addition to mathematics and natural sciences tasks, it
also includes data obtained from the children, parents, and school workers
on home learning conditions, school learning conditions (environment, cur-
riculum, classroom climate etc.), and general socioeconomic indicators. One
of the more interesting results is the fact that children of parents who have
a very positive attitudes towards science and mathematics have statistically
significantly higher achievements.
The above-mentioned international studies PISA and TIMSS also tackle an-
swers to other issues, such as the factors of success in sciences related to
pupils, the family, the school, the quality of teaching, and the like.
Excellence in Education
When it comes to excellence in education, different views on excellence are
considered. The education system can foster excellence in each individual
pupil, excellence of an educational institution or educational excellence in
the most general sense at all levels of the system (Carey, Davis, Ferreras, &
Porter, 2015). In England, for example, as the main objective of the educa-
tion system, emphasis is placed on achieving educational excellence in all
schools throughout England, so that each child has a right to quality edu-
cation. Therefore, the White Paper titled Educational Excellence Everywhere
(Department for Education 2016) states that each child should have access
to quality education regardless of his or her origin and residence, in order
to maximize their potential and thus improve the quality of the society in
which they live. Everything is based on the view that every child should be
expected to reach maximum achievements regardless of their abilities, em-
phasizing thereby the greater importance of the school’s professional auton-
omy and leadership. Achieving educational excellence is their most impor-
tant achievement and hence their activities are steered in that direction. To
achieve the expected educational excellence, they highlight seven key ele-
ments:
– Quality teachers, and in this regard addressing employment issues, rais-
102
Fourth and eighth grade pupils achieved a mathematics result at the level of
TIMSS world average, and in science a statistically significantly higher score
(533 points) than the survey average. More importantly, this result is higher
than the result achieved in science for the year 2011. In this regard, the re-
sult of this test in 2015 is marked as a positive shift towards higher values,
i.e. it speaks about better preparedness of our pupils in the fields of science
and mathematics. The TIMSS research provides a set of research problems
in such a way that, in addition to mathematics and natural sciences tasks, it
also includes data obtained from the children, parents, and school workers
on home learning conditions, school learning conditions (environment, cur-
riculum, classroom climate etc.), and general socioeconomic indicators. One
of the more interesting results is the fact that children of parents who have
a very positive attitudes towards science and mathematics have statistically
significantly higher achievements.
The above-mentioned international studies PISA and TIMSS also tackle an-
swers to other issues, such as the factors of success in sciences related to
pupils, the family, the school, the quality of teaching, and the like.
Excellence in Education
When it comes to excellence in education, different views on excellence are
considered. The education system can foster excellence in each individual
pupil, excellence of an educational institution or educational excellence in
the most general sense at all levels of the system (Carey, Davis, Ferreras, &
Porter, 2015). In England, for example, as the main objective of the educa-
tion system, emphasis is placed on achieving educational excellence in all
schools throughout England, so that each child has a right to quality edu-
cation. Therefore, the White Paper titled Educational Excellence Everywhere
(Department for Education 2016) states that each child should have access
to quality education regardless of his or her origin and residence, in order
to maximize their potential and thus improve the quality of the society in
which they live. Everything is based on the view that every child should be
expected to reach maximum achievements regardless of their abilities, em-
phasizing thereby the greater importance of the school’s professional auton-
omy and leadership. Achieving educational excellence is their most impor-
tant achievement and hence their activities are steered in that direction. To
achieve the expected educational excellence, they highlight seven key ele-
ments:
– Quality teachers, and in this regard addressing employment issues, rais-
102
