Denmark’s primary grade mathematics pedagogy

Denmark has been working in recent years to improve their educational system, researching systems that work, implementing new strategies, and changing their pedagogies. This is because Denmark, historically, receives average scores in international comparisons. Denmark has been receiving weaker scores than many of its’ Nordic counterparts (Finland, Sweden, Norway), despite many similarities in culture (Anderson, 2010, p. 160). Each of the Nordic countries places great importance on a child-centered approach. They are also similar in that “all the Nordic countries operate with a so-called ‘class teacher’ system in which a class of pupil remains a fixed unit under the primary care of one teacher” (Anderson, 2010, p. 162). In other words, the primary school class has the same teacher for two or three years, generally from first grade to second or third.

Characteristics of Denmark education include a ‘group’ outlook and value on the importance of enhancing relationships between teachers and students (Kelly, Pratt, Dorf, and Hohmann, 2013, p. 554). Denmark has also been focusing on creating well-rounded students and emphasizing not just subject and school proficiency, but also personal development.