Exhibit 11.7 presents the Students Confident in Mathematics scale, which contains nine statements about how well students think they can do mathematics (see Mathematics—About the Scale). Both fourth grade and eighth grade students responded to the scale and appear to have a good idea about their relative abilities. At both grades, students expressing confidence had substantially higher average achievement than those not expressing confidence.

Exhibit 11.8 presents the fourth grade results for the Students Confident in Mathematics scale. Thirty-two percent of the fourth grade students reported being “very confident,” 44 percent “somewhat confident,” and 23 percent “not confident.” Exhibit 11.9 presents the eighth grade results. At the eighth grade, students’ confidence had eroded, with only 15 percent reporting they are “very confident,” 42 percent “somewhat confident,” and 44 percent “not confident.” The gap in average achievement between the “very confident” and “not confident” eighth grade students was more than 100 scale score points (562 vs. 456).

Exhibit 11.10 contains the corresponding confidence scale for science (see Science—About the Scale). Both fourth and eighth grade students responded, with the results at the fourth grade being similar to but slightly more positive than those in mathematics. As shown in Exhibit 11.11, 38 percent of the fourth grade students reported being “very confident,” 43 percent “somewhat confident,” and 19 percent “not confident.”

Exhibit 11.12 presents the eighth grade results for the Students Confident in Science scale. The first panel shows the results for countries that have science as an integrated subject, followed by the results for biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science as separate courses. Eighth grade students did not report being as confident in doing science as did fourth grade students. However, relatively speaking, the eighth grade students expressed the most confidence in biology and Earth science, with 22–23 percent “very confident,” 46 percent “somewhat confident,” and 31–32 percent “not confident.” Although less positive, the results also were similar for integrated science and chemistry—20–23 percent “very confident,” 39 percent “somewhat confident,” and 38–41 percent “not confident.” Eighth grade students’ confidence in physics was the lowest of the science results (and similar to mathematics). Only 17 percent reported “very confident,” 38 percent “somewhat confident,” and 44 percent “not confident.”