[1] Since its founding in 1958, IEA has conducted more than 30 research studies of cross-national achievement.

IEA studies focus on subjects relating to mathematics, science, reading, civic and citizenship education, computer and information literacy, and teacher education, among others.

Even though the IEA became a legal entity in 1967, its origins date back to 1958 when a group of scholars, educational psychologists, sociologists, and psychometricians met at the UNESCO Institute for Education in Hamburg, Germany, to discuss problems of school and student evaluation.

They believed that an effective evaluation requires examination of both educational inputs as well as its outcomes (such as knowledge, attitudes, and participation).

They say they strongly rejected data-free assertions about the relative merits of various education systems, and aim to identify factors that would have meaningful and consistent influence on educational outcomes.