Emily Curry
The mathematical education provided in the United States has proved to be inferior compared to that of other countries. Specifically the Japanese and other Asian educational systems produce more educated mathematics students than the United States. American children tend to score lower on standardized testing than Asian students do. Many studies have been done by research groups such as the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement showing the differences in teaching methods between the United States and Japan. The teaching styles and the cultural differences can account for the gap in performance.
One of the most famous studies of its kind is called Pursuing Excellence, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. This study was conducted in 1995. The Mathematical knowledge of half a million students from forty-one countries was tested. Of these countries, the test shows that American students performed below average in mathematics. During the same research project, classrooms in America, Germany and Japan were videotaped and analyzed. (1)
When the curriculums in various countries were reviewed, researchers consistently found that American teachers spend a small amount of time on many topics where as other countries focus on fewer topics with more depth of topic and more repetition. Another variation is that American teachers, for the most part, have received more formal education than Japanese teachers, but have less classroom training and experience. Japan has a much higher focus on teaching quality than the United States. Most of the countries studied require their teachers to participate in full- year apprenticeships with constant monitoring. Many of the countries provide support for professional development. America, on the other hand, does not have such strict requirement or such extensive support. (2)
Another large difference is the focus of classroom study. In a comparison between typical eighth grade classes from Japan and the United States, these differences are made clear. American teachers tend to spend the first part of the period demonstrating a specific type of problem. The second portion of the class is spent applying the methods learned. The teachers assign problems for the students to try while he or she observes, helping anyone that is having trouble. Japanese teachers begin the class with a review of the previous day’s lesson followed by an introduction to that day’s topic. The teachers then typically present a problem which the students have the knowledge to solve, but one that they haven’t seen before. The students spend time working on their own and then they present their methods of solution to the class. The instructor points out some useful methods for solving the problem and the teacher either elaborates on the method or the students practice it. It was observed that American students are assigned more homework than Asian students are and more class time is spent discussing the homework in America than in Japan. In general, American students are taught a specific way in which to solve a problem and then practice on their own. Japanese students, on the other hand, are encouraged to come up with their own methods for solving the problems. They are taught to think instead of how to recall mathematical methods. The study shows that American students out perform Japanese student when tested on their math skill, while Japanese students scored higher when tested on their thinking skills.(3)
From theTIMSS video study (4)
Stigler et al., contributors in a classroom analysis presented to the International Congress on Mathematical Education, state that the gap between American and Japanese performance is a result of the interaction that occurs in the classroom. After analyzing classrooms, he and his colleagues determine the effects of the teachers’ routines on the mathematical learning of the students. They, along with Voigt, observed an interaction between an American teacher and his fifth grade students. He asked them for the area of a right triangle that had been divided into square units. The teacher allowed his students to struggle with the task of counting fractional parts of the squares until they jointly arrived at the correct answer before showing them the method of placing two triangles together to form a square, which was obviously his planned lesson. Stigler et al. state that the fact that the teacher felt obliged to following his lesson plan despite the students unexpected persistence shows a typical aspect of American mathematics education. "Stigler et al. relate their analysis of classroom episodes to students’ mathematical learning by identifying the opportunities that arise for thinking and reflection. American classrooms offer less time for thinking and reflection than Japanese classrooms do. Although the students arrived a the answer on their own, the teacher taught them a different way of coming up with the answer because Americans are very focused on teaching skills. (5)
Two other participants in the analysis, Saxe and Bermudez, have done observations which account for the mathematical learning that occurs outside of the classroom. Such learning is directly related to common cultural practices such as selling lemonade on the street. A child’s goals develop from the activities that he or she participates in outside of the classroom. Goals have a direct correlation with the child’s performance in mathematics. Therefore, cultural differences play a big part in the comparison between the mathematical performance in various countries. (6)
Many cultural differences are present between North American countries such as the United States and Asian countries such as Japan. These differences can account for the various teaching methods in these countries. American teachers at the elementary and middle school levels tend to focus their mathematical lessons on skills, whereas their Japanese counterparts tend to focus more on thinking. In a sense, American teachers provide the skills that are needed to solve the problem at hand. Japanese teachers provide their students with the knowledge they need and the ability to think so that they can apply this knowledge in various situations. For this reason, Japanese students have been able to perform better in studies than American students can.