Assessing Barriers to the Reform of U.S. Mathematics Instruction From an International Perspective

Abstract

The authors assessed five commonly perceived barriers to increased use of conceptual teaching in mathematics in the United States related to teacher autonomy, trade-offs with computational strategies, student achievement, class size, and teacher qualifications. These barriers were examined through the use of data from nationally representative samples of eighth-grade mathematics classrooms across 38 nations that took part in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study in 1999 and follow-up analyses involving data from the high-achieving nations of Japan and Singapore. Findings suggest that most of these perceived barriers are not impediments to the use of conceptual teaching strategies in other countries, and the comparative findings hold promise for alternative paradigms for organizing better mathematics instruction in the United States.

What works where? The relationship between instructional variables and schools' mean scores in mathematics and science in low-, medium-, and high-achieving countries

“…In mathematics there is a distinction between the "conceptual" model of instruction (in line with constructivist notions such as being engaged in problem-solving, working with real-world problems that have no obvious solutions, and discussing alternative solutions (Desimone et al, 2005;Hiebert et al, 1996) and the "computational" instructional approach that focuses on routine drill and practice and on traditional direct teaching (Li, 1999).…”

“…A different perspective on distinguishing among countries using the TIMSS 2003 database focused on clustering them according to teaching practices and attitudes toward mathematics as a school subject (Japeli-Pavesic & Korenjak-Cerne, 2004), or using TIMSS 1999 data to describe teaching practices in mathematics in 38 countries (Desimone et al 2005).…”

Teacher Quality, Opportunity Gap, and National Achievement in 46 Countries

“…Although most nations do not have such clear ideal types as Japan, analysis of the classroom video data in the 1999 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) suggests that these patterns may have more to do with the sequencing and timing of lesson events than with distinct ideal types (Givvin, Hiebert, Jacobs, Hollingsworth, & Gallimore, 2005, p. 342). Desimone, Smith, Baker, and Ueno (2005) found little variation in "gross teaching patterns" across 38 nations, based on a teacher survey, but did find that U.S. teachers used "conceptual instruction more with high-than with low-performing students" (pp. 523-524).…”

Improving Mathematics and Science Education: A Longitudinal Investigation of the Relationship Between Reform-Oriented Instruction and Student Achievement

“…Prominent organizations embraced this approach, including NCTM, NRC, and AAAS. Reform-oriented approaches were adopted in many schools and dis-tricts across the country, although even at their most popular they were less frequently used than were more traditional approaches (Desimone et al, 2005;Ravitz, Becker, and Wong, 2000).…”