The 5th Conference of National Research Coordinators (NRC) for TIMSS 2027 was held in Brussels from 24 to 28 August 2026. The conference, attended by around 150 representatives from approximately 70 participating countries, including Serbia, was organised by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The Institute for Education Quality and Evaluation coordinates TIMSS implementation in the Republic of Serbia, and its representatives, Bojana Marković and Magdalena Garić, took part in the conference.
TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) is a major international educational study that monitors trends in the mathematics and science achievement of fourth-grade primary school students. TIMSS provides information on students’ achievement in Serbia compared with their peers in other countries, enables comparisons of curricula and teaching practices, and provides up-to-date national and international data that help improve the teaching of mathematics and science in Serbia.
During the conference, all assessment items were first reviewed in detail, followed by a comprehensive review of the questionnaires, with the aim of finalising the versions to be used in the main study in 2027. All conference participants had the opportunity to provide suggestions, observations and comments, based on which the assessment items and questionnaires were further revised and improved.
In addition to the joint working sessions, individual consultations with IEA representatives were held to agree on the implementation schedule for the study in Serbia. The TIMSS 2027 main assessment in the Republic of Serbia will be conducted from 15 March to 15 April 2027.
At the end of the conference, participants received additional information concerning the assessment instruments, national adaptations, translation procedures and study monitoring.
