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The impacts of globalization on science education and curricula are of considerable interest internationally, not least in terms of preparing a nation's students for employment in a rapidly changing world. This study was not a measure of the total science curriculum for each country considered, but a measure of the similarity of their intended science curriculum to the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) framework; further research into the effects on the science curricula of countries that have not participated in TIMSS or using data from other relevant large-scale assessments would add an additional dimension to understanding the globalization of science curricula. Research exploring the processes by which countries embark on science curriculum reform would be an important avenue for further work in order to gain a better understanding of why countries decide to make the changes they do.

In this exploration of the globalization of science curricula, a coding exercise, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis of twenty years of TIMSS data were used to answer three research questions: (1) Have there been changes in intended science curricula over the last 20 years? (2) If changes do exist, do they support the hypothesis that science curricula are becoming increasingly similar across countries? (3) Are there groups of countries where curricula are increasingly similar; can the basis of an international core curriculum be identified? The analysis provides strong evidence to suggest that there have been changes to countries' intended science curricula. The coding exercise found that all countries in the analysis had made changes to their intended curricula, although the extent of curricular changes varied considerably between countries. Cluster and discriminant analyses showed that over time there was a tendency for countries to cluster into one particular grouping based on responses to the TIMSS curriculum questionnaire. The number of TIMSS science topics that could be considered core to the curricula of the majority of participating countries increased over time, particularly at Grade 4, suggesting that science curricula are becoming increasingly similar across countries. Among the two groups of countries identified by the cluster and discriminant analyses, there was a clear tendency for one group to include a wider science curriculum encompassing a greater range of science topics than the other group. At Grade 8 the results strongly suggest that there has been convergence in science curricula over time. In terms of whether an international core curriculum can be identified, there are some TIMSS science topics which could be considered core to the curricula of most countries. Assessment is likely to play an important role, as high-stakes assessment is likely to influence science curricula and what is taught in schools. Keywords Core science curriculum Á Curriculum change Á Curriculum convergence Á Curriculum development Á Globalization Á Science curriculum Science education Á Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)

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Globalization is a powerful process that exerts an increasing influence on many aspects of society. The impact of globalization on education, and more particularly its impact on the curriculum, is an interesting topic for research, but depends on acquiring comparable data on school curricula from sufficient numbers of countries. The IEA's Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has collected data on the mathematics and science curricula of participating countries since the 1990s that enables investigation of the national content of science and mathematics curricula over time. Because existing research has tended to focus on mathematics curricula, this study focuses on the evolution of science curricula. TIMSS asks specific questions about the intended curricula, and while the intended curriculum is not necessarily what was implemented or achieved, it has a strong influence on the implemented and achieved curricula of an education system. Many other factors, including local cultural influences, may also contribute; the influence of the international large-scale assessments themselves may lead to countries adopting education reforms and policies that have been successfully implemented by high-performing jurisdictions. Understanding whether and why there have been identifiable global changes resulting in a putative international core curriculum may reveal which strategies and topics countries have recognized as supporting future skills and knowledge.