Examining When Instructional Activities Work Well in Relation to Science Achievement

This study examines the instructional activities that underlie achievement in science using data from the TIMSS-R database. The focus population for this study is 15-yearold students from Cyprus. The results revealed a number of variables that were found to be negatively correlated with achievement as well as variables that were positively correlated with achievement. It appears that the negatively correlated variables that formed factor 1 fall into two broad categories, namely, use of technology and use of homework-related activities. In addition, the negatively correlated variables that fall into factor 2 could also be separated into two broad categories: using the board, and paper and pencil types of activities. Finally, the third factor included teaching strategies and group interactive activities which were associated with higher levels of science achievement. These results provide some insight into how instruction can be improved in Cypriot middle schools.