Nearly a quarter of the 9th graders in Germany do not meet the minimum requirements in mathematics. This emerges from the IQB-Bildungsstrend 2018, which was presented on Friday in Berlin. The scientists at the Institute for Quality Development (IQB) have raised the competencies of the ninth graders in the subjects of math and science with the study from the special school to high school.
In biology, physics and chemistry, the performance of the ninth graders is slightly better. Here, however, between five (biology) and almost 17 percent (chemistry) of the students still miss the minimum requirements.
The results vary considerably between the federal states: while over 40 percent of ninth graders in Bremen fail to meet the minimum requirements in mathematics, in Saxony this figure is only 14 percent. In biology, physics and chemistry, Berlin has to be the tail light, even behind Bremen and Hamburg. The first place in the comparison of the federal states, however, Bavaria secured, just ahead of Saxony.
Math chemistry physics bio
Competences of the ninth graders in mathematics
(Numbers in percent)
| state | Optimal standard achieved | Rule standard achieved | Minimum standard missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Wurttemberg | 3.2 | 46.5 | 22.5 |
| Bavaria | 6.2 | 55.2 | 17.2 |
| Berlin | 2.9 | 38.4 | 33.9 |
| Brandenburg | 2.1 | 41.6 | 24.2 |
| Bremen | 1.8 | 28.6 | 40.6 |
| Hamburg | 3.4 | 42.8 | 28.8 |
| Hesse | 2.6 | 41.9 | 28.8 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 1.5 | 38.5 | 29.0 |
| Lower Saxony | 1.8 | 40.8 | 23.5 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 2.9 | 41.6 | 27.6 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 3.4 | 40.5 | 27.2 |
| Saarland | 2.2 | 36.8 | 31.2 |
| Saxony | 6.5 | 56.6 | 14.0 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 3.3 | 42.7 | 24.9 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 3.1 | 40.2 | 28.5 |
| Thuringia | 3.6 | 46.8 | 19.5 |
| Germany | 3.5 | 44.9 | 24.2 |
Source: IQB Education Trend 2018
Competences of the ninth graders in chemistry
(Numbers in percent)
| state | Optimal standard achieved | Rule standard achieved | Minimum standard missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Wurttemberg | 2.7 | 55.5 | 16.8 |
| Bavaria | 4.5 | 68.7 | 9.4 |
| Berlin | 2.6 | 49.9 | 24.4 |
| Brandenburg | 2.1 | 54.9 | 17.1 |
| Bremen | 2.3 | 46.6 | 23.2 |
| Hamburg | 1.8 | 50.6 | 21.5 |
| Hesse | 1.5 | 50.5 | 21.5 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 1.8 | 57.0 | 13.7 |
| Lower Saxony | 2.2 | 54.4 | 17.0 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 2.4 | 50.4 | 20.7 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 2.4 | 56.5 | 15.1 |
| Saarland | 3.6 | 53.7 | 17.9 |
| Saxony | 6.4 | 67.5 | 9.7 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 4.7 | 55.6 | 19.9 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 2.1 | 52.9 | 18.5 |
| Thuringia | 4.1 | 59.2 | 13.7 |
| Germany | 2.9 | 56.1 | 16.8 |
Source: IQB Education Trend 2018
Competences of the ninth graders in physics
(Numbers in percent)
| state | Optimal standard achieved | Rule standard achieved | Minimum standard missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Wurttemberg | 4.0 | 69.7 | 8.7 |
| Bavaria | 9.9 | 80.9 | 4.1 |
| Berlin | 5.7 | 61.0 | 16.7 |
| Brandenburg | 4.6 | 70.7 | 7.6 |
| Bremen | 5.8 | 63.5 | 13.2 |
| Hamburg | 4.1 | 63.0 | 12.9 |
| Hesse | 3.5 | 63.5 | 12.9 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 4.4 | 70.6 | 7.7 |
| Lower Saxony | 2.8 | 71.0 | 6.9 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 3.4 | 61.8 | 12.3 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 4.2 | 69.1 | 7.4 |
| Saarland | 5.2 | 65.9 | 9.4 |
| Saxony | 8.9 | 80.0 | 3.6 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 8.8 | 67.1 | 11.2 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 4.1 | 69.9 | 8.2 |
| Thuringia | 5.6 | 73.8 | 5.2 |
| Germany | 5.1 | 69.3 | 8.8 |
Source: IQB Education Trend 2018
Competencies of the 9th graders in the field of biology
(Numbers in percent)
| state | Optimal standard achieved | Rule standard achieved | Minimum standard missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baden-Wurttemberg | 1.6 | 69.4 | 6.0 |
| Bavaria | 2.0 | 80.3 | 2.0 |
| Berlin | 0.8 | 63.7 | 10.5 |
| Brandenburg | 1.6 | 70.0 | 5.6 |
| Bremen | 1.4 | 65.2 | 7.6 |
| Hamburg | 1.0 | 66.3 | 7.0 |
| Hesse | 1.2 | 64.2 | 7.0 |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 0.7 | 71.8 | 4.1 |
| Lower Saxony | 1.2 | 71.0 | 5.2 |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 1.2 | 66.9 | 6.2 |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 2.4 | 69.7 | 5.3 |
| Saarland | 1.7 | 66.9 | 6.5 |
| Saxony | 2.6 | 79.1 | 2.1 |
| Saxony-Anhalt | 2.6 | 69.9 | 6.1 |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 1.7 | 69.9 | 5.6 |
| Thuringia | 2.3 | 74.6 | 2.9 |
| Germany | 1.6 | 70.7 | 5.4 |
Source: IQB Education Trend 2018
However, the results should be interpreted with caution.
- First, the standards are based on the competences students need for the Middle School. But testing is already in the ninth grade, one year before graduation. According to the IQB educational trend, test results in tenth grade look a little better : in math, the number of those who reach the minimum standards would increase by twelve percentage points; in the natural sciences, there would be improvements between one and five percentage points.
- Secondly, mathematics also involves students who are aiming for a high school diploma and who do not all need the skills they need in the test. The share of Hauptschule students in Germany has fallen significantly and in 2018 was just over four percent. On the other hand, the student body with special educational needs has risen slightly, its share in Germany is 6.4 percent.
Director of Studies Petra Stanat disturbs something else in the evaluation of the test: "This is not a competition," she said at the presentation of the results. They do not think much of country rankings. Instead, Stanat asks to look less at the snapshot than at the development of countries in recent years.
For this she uses the data from the first IQB country comparison from 2012. From this point of view, it is no longer the city states that are the problem children among the 16 federal states, but Brandenburg - although the country achieves average results in direct comparison with the federal states.
Waste at the standard in math
A look back at the year 2012 shows that the number of students in Brandenburg who reach the standard in maths has dropped by more than ten percentage points, according to IQB. In the natural sciences too, fewer students have reached the standard. In terms of expertise in biology and chemistry, the share in Brandenburg has even dropped by more than 15 percentage points.
In math, the trend is also declining in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein. Again, the ninth graders have worsened compared to the first study in 2012.
In addition to Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia in particular have lost competencies in their students in the natural sciences. The number of students reaching the standard has dropped significantly. In addition, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein have to make cuts. Saxony's students have at least deteriorated somewhat in biology and chemistry.
More about the study
Who conducted and funded the study?
The school performance test was conducted by the Institute for Quality Development in Education (IQB) under the direction of Petra Stanat. The IQB is based at the Humboldt University. It is funded as a joint scientific institution of the 16 federal states.
How was the data collected?
44,941 ninth graders from 1,462 schools participated in the 120-minute Leadership Test on Educational Standards between April and June 2018. This is a representative sample of all ninth grade students at general education schools in Germany - from the special needs school to the high school. In addition, questionnaires were given to students and their parents to collect data on demography, attitudes, immigration background and socioeconomic status. However, this was not obligatory in all federal states. In addition, teachers and school administrators were questioned about further education measures and equipment of the schools.
What was the purpose of the investigation?
The purpose of the study is to ascertain the current state of affairs and the trend in achieving the common educational standards of the federal states. This is to provide those responsible with a basis for improvement.
By contrast, there are hardly any positive developments. Only the 9th graders in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia have significantly improved in biology. When reaching the rule standards, there is an increase of five percentage points. The students in Bavaria can also make up just under five percentage points in physics.
More losers than winners
Overall, there are thus significantly more losers than winners in the current education trend - which is not apparent at first glance from the statistics: "The few positive countries" kept the trend "stable throughout Germany," says IQB CEO Stanat.
Now it is up to the responsible persons in the federal states to interpret the results against the background of their respective education system and the composition of the pupils, so Stanat. The first emerging theses Stanat refuses: Neither the lack of teachers nor the refugee children could be made responsible for the development.
Admittedly, the proportion of ninth graders with immigration history has risen by almost seven percent compared to 2012, to almost 34 percent. The games in Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia - so the countries that have deteriorated particularly - but hardly a role. The proportion of students in which at least one parent was born abroad is far below the national average of only ten to 13 percent.
High schools are dropping
According to the study, the development at the grammar schools also speaks against this connection: Compared to the previous study, the pupils had become worse in almost all federal states. The composition of the high school students had not changed.
According to the study, the missing teachers were not yet reflected in the data for the eastern federal states. Therefore, Stanat can hardly wait to get in touch with those responsible for education in Brandenburg.
Incidentally, Brandenburg could score points in one respect: In no other federal state is the educational success so little related to the home as here. Throughout Germany, it is still the case that students from households with a high socio-economic status achieve better performance. This is still the case in Brandenburg. But the federal state was the only one who was able to significantly reduce this link.
