cApStAn to verify translation quality of TIMSS instruments for the 7th time
IEA’s Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a digital assessment of fourth- and eighth-grade students’ mathematics and science achievement conducted every four years since 1995. For over three decades, TIMSS has been at the forefront of monitoring global trends in student achievement. TIMSS data have enabled countries around the world to make evidence-based decisions to improve educational policies related to mathematics and science teaching and learning. Since the TIMSS 2003 data collection, cApStAn has played a key role in maximising comparability across language versions and verifying translation quality of the instruments. We are, of course, delighted to be involved for the 7th time, with two verification rounds per cycle: one before the field trial, one before the main data collection. We are currently working on 111 versions of the instruments prepared by 67 participating countries in 58 languages. This represents a scrutiny of 3.8 million words.