International large-scale assessments (ILSAs) have long been a cornerstone of comparative education research, offering valuable insights into trends in achievement and equity across countries. Yet, their cross-sectional nature has limited the ability to study the students’ learning progress over time. The TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal Study introduces panel data, that is, reassessing the same students one year later to capture individual learning gains in mathematics and science, marking a major innovation within major ILSAs.

This workshop introduces this open-access international dataset, which provides new opportunities for researchers to study learning growth and its contextual determinants. Participants will gain an overview of the study design, including its panel structure, and contextual data from students, teachers, parents, and principals. The session will demonstrate how the data can be used to address questions about learning gains, classroom effects, and educational equity

The workshop will include:

• An overview of available open-source materials and datasets provided by the IEA;
• A guided introduction to the design and variables of the TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal Study;
• A review on the limitations of cross-sectional data and the possibilities opened by analyzing longitudinal data;
• Hands-on guidance on how to access and analyze the data using freely available software tools;
• Discussion of potential research questions and publication opportunities for early-career researchers.

By engaging with this new resource, participants will discover how the TIMSS Longitudinal dataset can expand the boundaries of international educational research—identifying learning determinants thanks to the new longitudinal data, moving beyond simple comparisons between countries and cycles.