Abstract
The international comparison of students’ mathematics knowledge and competencies is an effective method of evaluating students’ mathematics performance and developing policies to improve their achievements in mathematics. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are among the most well-recognized international comparisons that provide valuable information about students’ mathematics achievement in an international area. The results of TIMSS in the period of 1999 to 2011 in students’ mathematics achievement, particularly in 8 th grade, shows that Singapore has had one of the best students’ mathematics achievement. The present study, therefore, deeply analyzes the mathematics curriculum, and compare the mathematics textbooks (Secondary 1 & 2) with contents domain of TIMSS including Numbers, Algebra, Geometry, and Data and Chance (Statistics and Probability), to highlight the reasons for such a desirable mathematics achievement. Findings of the present study may offer valuable insights to mathematics educators and syllabus designers.
Highlights
Mathematics became the driving force for almost all technological and scientific developments in the 19th and20th centuries
Our review of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) reports, for the 8th grade level, reveals that South East Asian countries, including Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore have obtained almost the best ranking in mathematic content domain which is mentioned in TIMSS 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 (Table 1)
Considering Singapore as one of the best, if not the most, successful countries in mathematics achievement in TIMSS history, the present study aims to investigate the content of mathematics textbooks of the secondary schools in this country
Summary
In order to evaluate students’ performance and to develop policies to improve their achievements in science and mathematics at different levels of education, it is relevant to compare their knowledge and competencies in a specific area with students of the other countries. One such evaluation is conducted by Trends in International. Our review of TIMSS reports, for the 8th grade level, reveals that South East Asian countries, including Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore have obtained almost the best ranking in mathematic content domain which is mentioned in TIMSS 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 (Table 1) This significant difference in mathematics achievement among these countries may signify the appropriateness and richness of their content of mathematics of the secondary schools. The present study provides a detailed overview of mathematics curriculum in Singapore, and the content of mathematics textbooks, especially in 8th grade, to reveal the possible reasons for such a success of Singapore in mathematics achievement in TIMSS
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