TIMSS 2019 Science Framework

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Science Cognitive Domains–Fourth and Eighth Grades

The cognitive dimension is divided into three domains that describe the thinking processes students are expected to engage in when encountering the science items developed for TIMSS 2019. The first domain, knowing, addresses the student’s ability to recall, recognize, describe, and provide examples of facts, concepts, and procedures that are necessary for a solid foundation in science. The second domain, applying, focuses on using this knowledge to compare, contrast, and classify groups of objects or materials; relating knowledge of a science concept to a specific context; generating explanations; and solving practical problems. The third domain, reasoning, includes using evidence and science understanding to analyze, synthesize, and generalize, often in unfamiliar situations and complex contexts.

These three cognitive domains are used at both grades, however, the target percentages for each domain vary between fourth and eighth grade in accordance with the increased cognitive ability, instruction, experience, and breadth and depth of understanding of students at the higher grade level. The percentage of items that involve knowing is higher at the fourth grade compared to the eighth grade, while the percentage of items that ask students to engage in reasoning is higher at the eighth grade compared to the fourth grade. While there is some hierarchy in the thinking processes across the three cognitive domains (from knowing to applying to reasoning), each cognitive domain contains items representing a full range of difficulty. Exhibit 2.4 shows the target percentages in terms of assessment time for each of the three cognitive domains at the fourth and eighth grades.

Exhibit 2.4: Target Percentages of the TIMSS 2019 Science Assessment Devoted to Cognitive Domains at the Fourth and Eighth Grades

Cognitive Domains	Percentages
	Fourth Grade	Eighth Grade
Knowing	40%	35%
Applying	40%	35%
Reasoning	20%	30%

For the fourth and eighth grades, each content domain includes items developed to address each of the three cognitive domains. For example, the life science content domain includes knowing, applying, and reasoning items, as do the other content domains. The following sections further describe the thinking processes that define the cognitive domains.

Knowing

Items in this domain assess students’ knowledge of facts, relationships, processes, concepts, and equipment. Accurate and broad-based factual knowledge enables students to successfully engage in the more complex cognitive activities essential to the scientific enterprise.

Recall/Recognize	Identify or state facts, relationships, and concepts; identify the characteristics or properties of specific organisms, materials, and processes; identify the appropriate uses for scientific equipment and procedures; and recognize and use scientific vocabulary, symbols, abbreviations, units, and scales.
Describe	Describe or identify descriptions of properties, structures, and functions of organisms and materials, and relationships among organisms, materials, and processes and phenomena.
Provide Examples	Provide or identify examples of organisms, materials, and processes that possess certain specified characteristics; and clarify statements of facts or concepts with appropriate examples.

Applying

Items in this domain require students to engage in applying knowledge of facts, relationships, processes, concepts, equipment, and methods in contexts likely to be familiar in the teaching and learning of science.

Compare/Contrast/ Classify	Identify or describe similarities and differences between groups of organisms, materials, or processes; and distinguish, classify, or sort individual objects, materials, organisms, and processes based on characteristics and properties.
Relate	Relate knowledge of an underlying science concept to an observed or inferred property, behavior, or use of objects, organisms, or materials.
Use Models	Use a diagram or other model to demonstrate knowledge of science concepts, to illustrate a process, cycle, relationship, or system, or to find solutions to science problems.
Interpret Information	Use knowledge of science concepts to interpret relevant textual, tabular, pictorial, and graphical information.
Explain	Provide or identify an explanation for an observation or a natural phenomenon using a science concept or principle.

Reasoning

Items in this domain require students to engage in reasoning to analyze data and other information, draw conclusions, and extend their understandings to new situations. In contrast to the more direct applications of science facts and concepts exemplified in the applying domain, items in the reasoning domain involve unfamiliar or more complicated contexts. Answering such items can involve more than one approach or strategy. Scientific reasoning also encompasses developing hypotheses and designing scientific investigations.

Analyze	Identify the elements of a scientific problem and use relevant information, concepts, relationships, and data patterns to answer questions and solve problems.
Synthesize	Answer questions that require consideration of a number of different factors or related concepts.
Formulate Questions/ Hypothesize/Predict	Formulate questions that can be answered by investigation and predict results of an investigation given information about the design; formulate testable assumptions based on conceptual understanding and knowledge from experience, observation, and/or analysis of scientific information; and use evidence and conceptual understanding to make predictions about the effects of changes in biological or physical conditions.
Design Investigations	Plan investigations or procedures appropriate for answering scientific questions or testing hypotheses; and describe or recognize the characteristics of well-designed investigations in terms of variables to be measured and controlled and cause-and-effect relationships.
Evaluate	Evaluate alternative explanations; weigh advantages and disadvantages to make decisions about alternative processes and materials; and evaluate results of investigations with respect to sufficiency of data to support conclusions.
Draw Conclusions	Make valid inferences on the basis of observations, evidence, and/or understanding of science concepts; and draw appropriate conclusions that address questions or hypotheses, and demonstrate understanding of cause and effect.
Generalize	Make general conclusions that go beyond the experimental or given conditions; apply conclusions to new situations.
Justify	Use evidence and science understanding to support the reasonableness of explanations, solutions to problems, and conclusions from investigations.