Polish children are among the top performers in mathematics, but they lack confidence in their abilities. This is according to a study by TIMSS

Monday, Jan 20, 2025

Gazeta Wyborcza

Polish TIMSS results show high math/science scores, but low student self-belief despite educational improvements.

🔗 Read the article on wyborcza.pl

[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Polish students achieved high scores in the 2023 TIMSS study, ranking 10th globally in mathematics and 7th in natural sciences, with both subjects showing improvement over previous years. The national coordinator noted Polish students perform better than most European countries, trailing only England and Lithuania in math. Experts suggest part of this success is due to Polish fourth-graders being older than their international counterparts. However, despite these academic achievements, a significant portion of Polish students lack self-belief; 41% believe they are not good at mathematics. This low confidence might stem from the pandemic’s impact and social media, as well as the intense focus on formal mathematics in fourth grade. Teachers observe that while children are skilled at basic calculation, they struggle with understanding and self-worth. Some international examples show success through integrating practical applications of math into learning, such as engineering or problem-solving, which Polish teachers also attempt by bringing abstract concepts to everyday life. Furthermore, educators suggest that adult impatience can undermine children’s confidence by not allowing them sufficient time to complete tasks independently.

🔗 Read the original article

Previous page Will Rosen Zhelyazkov get a tattoo that says "VAT will not be increased?"
Next page The Spanish Directorate General for Traffic (DGT) is preparing to implement the strictest drink-driving regulations in Europe: even a single beer could put women over the limit

© 2026 Pulse - Europe beyond the beat


PULSE is an initiative for cross-border collaborative journalism in Europe co-funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement n. PO 4500158093.

PULSE is an initiative coordinated by OBCT that has been promoting intensive journalistic cross-border collaborations in Europe since 2024. Its main aim is to help strengthen the European public sphere by reporting on and telling stories from new and diverse perspectives.

At the heart of PULSE are 10 leading national news outlets (Delfi – Lithuania, Deník Referendum – Czechia, Der Standard – Austria, EfSyn – Greece, El Confidencial – Spain, Gazeta Wyborcza – Poland, HotNews – Romania, HVG – Hungary, Il Sole 24 Ore – Italy, Mediapool – Bulgaria) and three transnational organisations, including OBCT , n-ost and Voxeurop .

Additional outlets and journalists are involved as associate partners, including EUobserver , Føljeton (Denmark), H-Alter (Croatia), Levila (Estonia), Rubryka (Ukraine), and The Journal Investigates (Ireland).

PULSE is driven by a sort of virtual transnational newsroom made up of journalists from all the publications involved. It collaboratively produces new journalistic content on European issues on a daily basis, coming in many different languages. The editorial output amounts to over a thousand publications per year, mostly in article form.

PULSE also runs 4 thematic networks open to any European journalist interested in crucial issues such as EU enlargement, relations between the EU and other global powers, the EU’s green transition, or media and the information society. These networks function as online communities and periodically publish calls for pitches.