Primary Grades Math Education
Educate Yourself: A Cross Country Comparison
United States (US)
What does elementary mathematics education look like in the United States?
Education in the United States is formulated based around specific standards that the government want students to be able to fulfill, and by a focus on increasing standardized test scores. United States elementary mathematics education has moved towards a social-constructivist approach. Most recent educational reform related to elementary mathematics includes the Common Core. Common Core is a set of standards that describes what students should be able to do in each subject by grade and topic; it is “a movement toward a common national curriculum in mathematics and English language arts” (Khaliqi, 2016, p. 199). Since education systems across the United States each have their own standards for learning, the Common Core was an attempt to create uniformity between states. Many states approved Common Core, but there has also been widespread resistance. This takes the lesson away from a child-centered approach and teaching students in a way that is most relevant to them.
The Unites States has also fallen into a culture of standardized tests. Many states require standardized tests for their students, and colleges generally require that students have taken either the ACT or SAT tests.
The United States is also very different from other countries education systems because unlike the United States, many countries focus more on the process of learning and solving a problem and the concepts behind it. The US, on the other hand, places more of an emphasis on the solution of the problem and coming upon the right answer. This mathematics tendency in the United States, contributes to math anxiety in students across the US.
Many schools have tried to implement other pedagogies into their systems, with varied success. The United States is a large country, and when news of a successful system is spread, it is often picked up by other school districts. However, many districts have a problem where they only take the aspects of a successful system that are appealing to them. When a system is successful, it is usually the system as a whole that has worked, as each factor is important to the outcome. Different districts like to try different methods as part of their professional development. United States has also tried to implement a Singapore mathematics education approach, but again failed. The US has a history of trying to improve their educational system by taking aspects of successful systems. However, American teachers often are faced with not enough guidance in new strategies and a lack of financial support from the government.
United States and Teachers
Many countries that have successful math education also have a positive correlation with the way they treat teachers. Countries like Japan and Finland have had great success in early math education, and in their educational systems overall, and they also have extreme respect for teachers in their cultures. In Finland, teachers are viewed at the same level as doctors and high-level professionals, as teachers in Finland have to interview to get into an education program and licensure is at the masters level. In contrast, the United States has a culture of disrespect and distrust towards teachers, both from citizens and government officials.
United States and Government
In the US, the majority of decisions regarding education are left up to the states. The most recent nationwide act in regards to education is the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA. President Obama signed ESSA in December 2015. ESSA “builds on key areas of progress in recent years, made possible by the efforts of educators, communities, parents, and students across the country” (U.S. Department of Education, 2015). ESSA was a response to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which placed crucial importance on accountability. Accountability has become of huge importance in the United States Education System (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).
Major Differences
One major difference between mathematics in the United State and other countries is the fact that the United States does not use the metric system. The metric system is used by all but three countries: Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States.
Schools and school districts in the United States focus more on the result of math work than on the process and concepts. This is different then many East Asian countries which have had great success in recent years with their focus on the process of solving math problems, not just the answer. High performing and high rated elementary mathematics countries (according to TIMMS and OECD) are similar in their themes of support of child-
centered teaching, their encouragement that students focus on the process and conceptual understanding of working through a problem instead of just trying to find an answer, highly trained teachers, an overall trust in teachers from society and the government, and cultural support of educational practices.
The United States, while displaying some of those characteristics, is lacking in others. In the U.S. teachers generally follow a regular setup for math lesson, they introduce the topic, let students try it, help students work through problems, and go on to the next topic. There is an introduction, work time, and a conclusion. While many teacher education programs and professional development programs are working to enact new systems and a constructivist, child-centered approach, there have been few new nationwide programs with strong success, and many new programs are focused on Reading and English skills. In the United States, these educational decisions have mostly been left up to the states, which leads to great variability in systems across the country, and a general distrust from the general populace toward teachers and schools and their success.
Resources:
Ghousseini, H., & Herbst, P. (2016). Pedagogies of practice and opportunities to learn about classroom mathematics discussions. Journal Of Mathematics Teacher Education, 19(1), 79-103. doi:10.1007/s10857-014-9296-1
Hertzog, H. S., & O'Rode, N. (2011). Improving the quality of elementary mathematics student teaching: Using field support materials to develop reflective practice in student teachers. Teacher Education Quarterly, 38(3), 89-111.
Khaliqi, D. (2016). How common Is the common core? A global analysis of math teaching and learning. School Science & Mathematics, 116(4), 199-211. doi:10.1111/ssm.12170
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Koebler, J. (2011, May 25). U.S. can learn from other countries' education systems. In U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/05/25/us-can-learn-from-other-countries-education-systems
Lee, K., & Wassel, E. N. (2012). How can we make one step forward in curing a sick giant elephant -- The current elementary mathematics education in the United States?. National Teacher Education Journal, 5(4), 5-8.
Lewis, C. (2016). How does lesson study improve mathematics instruction?. Zdm, 48(4), 571-580. doi:10.1007/s11858-016-0792-x
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Saito, E. (2012). Key issues of lesson study in Japan and the United States: a literature review. Professional Development In Education, 38(5), 777-789. doi:10.1080/19415257.2012.668857
Schoenfeld, A. H. (2014). Common sense about the common core. Mathematics Enthusiast, 11(3), 737-744.
Schoenfeld, A. H. (2015). Summative and formative assessments in mathematics supporting the goals of the common core standards. Theory Into Practice, 54(3), 183-194. doi:10.1080/00405841.2015.1044346
Stohlmann, M., Cramer, K., Moore, T., & Maiorca, C. (2014). Changing pre-service elementary teachers' beliefs about Mathematical Knowledge. Mathematics Teacher Education & Development, 16(2), 4-24.
U.S. Department of Education. (2015, December). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 14, 2017, from https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn
Math scores in the U.S. have been very consistent, despite attempts to raise scores.