What is Standing in the Way of Middle School Mathematics Curriculum Reform?

Abstract

It is common today to hear complaints about the sorry state of mathematics learning among our youth, particularly students in the middle grades. The results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) show that although U.S. fourth graders are relatively successful in learning mathematics, U.S. eighth graders score well below the international average in math ematics (National Research Council, 1997). This is par ticularly disturbing since at this age many students make decisions about what mathematics they will continue to study and thereby, to large extent, set limits on their future career choices. One reason cited for the poor petformance of U.S. eighth graders is the traditional middle school mathematics curriculum. Flanders (1987) studied popular textbooks used in the midto late 1980s and concluded they are largely review of previ ously studied mathematics. Middle school students con tinue studying topics already encountered and most of these involve computation or memorization of facts and formulas. Rarely are students challenged or stimulated to explore new mathematical ideas. The TIMSS study confirms that U.S. textbooks cover wide range of con tent with too little depth. TIMSS researchers character ize U.S. eighth grade mathematics textbooks as being a mile wide and an inch deep.