Detecting student performance gaps in high school physics courses

Abstract

Abstract This research utilises data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to uncover disparities in the performance of US high school students in specific physics topics. Although TIMSS provides an overview of physics performance, it lacks specific information on individual topic areas. To address this gap, I develop a unique index to evaluate student performance across seven topic areas and three cognitive domains. My analysis reveals that US students struggle the most in magnetism and electromagnetic induction. However, students are able to apply what they learn in this area to solve problems. Additionally, students perform better on multiple-choice questions than on critical responses, and reasoning skills are consistently weak across all topic areas. I also explore contextual variables that may account for the low performance in electric and magnetism topic area.