The IMST project: reflections on a nation-wide initiative fostering e...

The IMST project started in 1998 as a reaction to Austria’s disappointing TIMSS 1995 results at the upper secondary level. IMST originally aimed at fostering mathematics and science education. It was adopted several times and is still running. One of the project’s basic interventions is to promote teachers’ investigation into their own work, putting an emphasis on reflection and networking. The paper sketches the genesis of the project, including the initial research project and its continuous development. Furthermore, the theoretical framework, the goals and the intervention strategy are outlined as well as the project’s approach to evaluation and research. As an outcome of IMST, a national support system was launched. The paper compares the vision of this support system and its implementation. The paper finishes with some reflections on Austrian students’ achievement in TIMSS and other studies over the years and on challenges and future plans.