Opportunity to Learn and Math Achievement: A Comparative Perspective of Poor Student Performance in Saudi Arabia

The most recent Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2007 revealed that the Middle East is one of the poorest scoring regions in the world, with Saudi Arabia scoring amongst the lowest. This is an odd fact given the country’s extreme wealth and recent education policies aimed at revamping the education system. Existing literature points to lower quality resources in the MENA region and specifically in Saudi Arabia, which may suggest few opportunities to learn and lead to poor test scores. This study uses multiple regression analysis to explore the relationship between student achievement
on the TIMSS mathematics exam and various factors relating to school quality and opportunity to learn, including teacher quality, social context, school characteristics. The study also looks at student motivations, a departure from previous literature. The findings support the literature pointing to lower quality education in Saudi Arabia. Also, student attitudes towards math are measured as lower (poorer) than in peer countries. Still, certified math teachers have a positive association with student performance in 2007, which may show that the country’s newest policies have produced more certified
teachers of better quality over time. The study concludes with recommendations that Saudi Arabia narrow the focus of its policies to teacher training and curriculum development in order to achieve the depth necessary for effective outcomes.