Exhibits 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, and 9.4 present teachers’ reports about their highest level of formal education for fourth grade mathematics and science teachers and eighth grade mathematics and science teachers, respectively. Teachers’ highest levels of formal education are reported by four categories: completed postgraduate university degree, completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, completed post-secondary education but not a bachelor’s degree, or completed upper-secondary education.

Internationally, on average, 28 percent of the fourth grade students had mathematics teachers with a postgraduate university degree, 56 percent had teachers with a bachelor’s degree, 10 percent had teachers who had completed post-secondary education, and 5 percent had teachers who completed upper-secondary education (Exhibit 9.1). Similarly, on average, 29 percent of fourth grade students had science teachers with a postgraduate university degree, 56 percent had teachers with a bachelor’s degree, 10 percent had teachers with some post-secondary education, and 5 percent had teachers who completed upper-secondary education (Exhibit 9.2).

Parallel results are shown for eighth grade students in Exhibit 9.3 (mathematics) and Exhibit 9.4 (science), although in both subjects, more eighth grade students than fourth grade students had teachers with bachelor’s degrees and postgraduate university degrees, on average. Internationally, 35 percent of students had mathematics teachers with a postgraduate university degree, and 61 percent had mathematics teachers with a bachelor’s degree. Also internationally, 38 percent of students had science teachers with a postgraduate university degree, and 58 percent had science teachers with a bachelor’s degree.

In fourth and eighth grades and in both subjects, there was considerable variation across countries in teachers’ education levels, reflecting countries’ different education paths and requirements for teachers. The TIMSS 2019 Encyclopedia provides information about the main teacher preparation routes and current requirements for teachers in each country, based on information provided by National Research Coordinators in the TIMSS 2019 Curriculum Questionnaire.