Worksheet Usage, Reading Achievement, Classes’ Lack of Readiness, and Science Achievement: A Cross-Country Comparison

Instructional written materials play important roles as teachers’ agents in effective teaching practices.
Worksheets are one of the most frequently used materials. In this exploratory study, the relationships between
worksheet usage and science achievement in 32 countries were examined through the use of TIMSS and PIRLS
data and multiple regression analysis. Based on two dimensions, five types of relationships among science
achievement, worksheet usage, and other related variables are identified. The first dimension is whether the
status of significance in the association of worksheets used as a basis and science achievement changes before
and after controlling four teacher and school variables: schools’ emphases on academic success, safety and
orderliness of school, teachers’ confidence in teaching science, and instructional engagement of students. The
second dimension is the interaction of worksheets as a basis and classes’ lack of readiness. The interaction
between worksheets as a basis and reading achievement in science achievement is found to be not significantly
different from zero in all participating countries. Four directions of further investigation are suggested based on
the results.