Improving the Planning and Teaching of Mathematics by Reflecting on Research

Abstract

Much has been written in the past decade about the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), including the 1999 Video Study and the TIMSS 2003 test. The primary goals of the study were to evaluate mathematics achievement levels in several countries and to attempt to understand and explain the reasons for the differences (Stevenson 1998). The TIMSS case studies were compiled in Germany, Japan, and the United States and included videos of class sessions that were analyzed by an international team of researchers (TIMSS Video Mathematics Research Group 2003). The summaries of the research have been a basis for suggestions and changes in American classrooms. Specifically, the study clearly showed differences in the ways that teachers in Japan and in the United States conduct their classes that, in turn, may affect the academic achievement of their students. Several of the key findings will be discussed in this article. Then, based on the research, questions will be presented and recommendations for teachers will be suggested concerning how U.S. mathematics teachers might rethink their methods of planning and teaching.