Whenever I work with data sets, I write a SAS program to extract data sets with variables that I need.  Secondary data sets usually come with electric code book that does that, but I like customizing it, so I don't have to click on too many bottons.  I don't like clicking bottons since it takes time.  I like just writing the name of the variables that I want and want to be able to obtain the variables shortly after it.

1. Download this zip file to a directory of your choice in your computer.  Unzip it in that directory.

2. Modify Kmain.sas to specify names of the variables you want.  This writes a program "extract.sas." <-- this is a sample.

3. Open extract.sas and change the path names of the working directory that you are using and the directotory in which you have your TIMSS data (get TIMSS data from NECS website).  [or make this permanent by modifying it in a file named Kraw.txt]

4. Run extract.sas to get three data sets, 7th and 8th grade student data, math teacher data, and principal data.  In this program specify which country's data you want.  Default is US.  You can get as many countries' data as you want at one run (even all nations!).

5. Use Kmerge.sas to merge the three data sets.  Now it is for the US, but it can be easily changed to run other countries.

 

Without this program, my study that compares 34 or even more TIMSS countries would have been impossible.

 

NELS

Longtidudinal Study of American Youth

I have done a similar thing with this data set.  Contact me for this.