VOLTAR AO PRINCíPIO DO "Ensino da Matemática"
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Executive Summary of "Pursuing Excellence: A Study of U.S.
Eighth-Grade Mathematics & Science Teaching, Learning,
Curriculum, & Achievement in International Context"
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Preface
~~~~~~~
The Third International Mathematics & Science Study (TIMSS) is the
largest, most comprehensive, & most rigorous international
comparison of education ever undertaken. During the 1995 school
year, the study tested the math & science knowledge of a half-
million students from 41 nations at five different grade levels.
In addition to tests & questionnaires, it included a curriculum
analysis, videotaped observations of mathematics classrooms, & case
studies of policy issues.
* TIMSS' rich information allows us not only to compare
achievement, but also provides insights into how life in U.S.
schools differs from that in other nations.
* This report on eighth-grade students is one of a series of
reports that will also present findings on student achievement
at fourth grade, & at the end of high school, as well as on
various other topics.
Achievement
~~~~~~~~~~~
One of our national goals is to be "first in the world in
mathematics & science achievement by the year 2000," as President
Bush & 50 governors declared in 1989. Although we are far from
this mark, we are on a par with other major industrialized nations
like Canada, England, & Germany.
* In mathematics, U.S. eighth graders score below the
international average of the 41 TIMSS countries. Our
students' scores are not significantly different from those of
England & Germany.
* In science, U.S. eighth graders score above the international
average of 41 TIMSS countries. Our students' scores are not
significantly different from those of Canada, England, &
Germany.
* In mathematics, our eighth-grade students' standing is at
about the international average in Algebra; Fractions; and
Data Representation, Analysis, & Probability. We do less well
in Geometry; Measurement; & Proportionality.
* In science, our eighth graders' standing is above the
international average in Earth Science, Life Science, &
Environmental Issues. Our students score about average in
Chemistry & Physics.
* If an international talent search were to select the top 10
percent of all students in the 41 TIMSS countries, in
mathematics 5 percent of U.S. students would be included. In
science 13 percent would be included.
Curriculum
~~~~~~~~~~
U.S. policy makers are concerned about whether expectations for our
students are high enough, & in particular whether they are as
challenging as those of our foreign economic partners. In all
countries, the relationship between standards, teaching, & learning
is complex. This is even more true in the U.S., which is atypical
among TIMSS countries in its lack of a nationally defined
curriculum.
* The content taught in U.S. eighth-grade mathematics classrooms
is at a seventh-grade level in comparison to other countries.
* Topic coverage in U.S. eighth-grade mathematics classes is not
as focused as in Germany & Japan.
* In science, the degree of topic focus in the U.S. eighth-grade
curriculum may be similar to that of other countries.
* U.S. eighth graders spend more hours per year in math &
science classes than German & Japanese students.
Teaching
~~~~~~~~
In recent years, concern about the quality of instruction in U.S.
classrooms has led mathematics professional organizations to issue
calls for reform. However, TIMSS data cannot tell us about the
success of these reform efforts for several reasons, including the
fact that this assessment occurred too soon after the beginning of
the reform for states & districts to have designed their own
programs, retrained teachers, & nurtured a generation of students
according to the new approach. Also, we do not have comparable
earlier baseline information against which to compare the findings
from TIMSS. However, TIMSS includes the first large-scale
observational study of U.S. teaching ever undertaken, & this can
form a baseline against which future progress may be judged.
* U.S. mathematics classes require students to engage in less
high-level mathematical thought than classes in Germany &
Japan.
* U.S. mathematics teachers' typical goal is to teach students
how to do something, while Japanese teachers' goal is to help
them understand mathematical concepts.
* Japanese teachers widely practice what the U.S. mathematics
reform recommends, while U.S. teachers do so infrequently.
* Although most U.S. math teachers report familiarity with
reform recommendations, only a few apply the key points in
their classrooms.
Teachers' Lives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The training that teachers receive before they enter the profession
& the regular opportunities that they have for on-the-job learning
& improvement of their teaching affect the quality of the teaching
force. The collegial support that teachers receive & the
characteristics of their daily lives also affect the type of
teaching they provide.
* Unlike new U.S. teachers, new Japanese & German teachers
undergo long-term structured apprenticeships in their
profession.
* U.S. teachers have more college education than their
colleagues in all but a few TIMSS countries.
* Japanese teachers have more opportunities to discuss teaching-
related issues than do U.S. teachers.
* Student diversity & poor discipline are challenges not only
for U.S. teachers, but for German teachers as well.
Students' Lives
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The manner in which societies structure the schooling process gives
rise to different opportunities & expectations for young people.
The motivators, supports, & obstacles to study in each country are
outgrowths of the choices provided by society & schools.
* Eighth-grade students of different abilities are typically
divided into different classrooms in the U.S., & into
different schools in Germany. In Japan, no ability grouping
is practiced at this grade level.
* In mathematics, U.S. students in higher ability-level classes
study different material than students in lower-level classes.
In Germany & Japan, all students study basically the same
material, although in Germany the depth & rigor of study
depends on whether the school is for students of higher or
lower ability levels.
* Japanese eighth-graders are preparing for a high-stakes
examination to enter high school at the end of ninth grade.
* U.S. teachers assign more homework & spend more class time
discussing it than teachers in Germany & Japan. U.S. students
report about the same amount of out-of-school math & science
study as their Japanese & German counterparts.
* Heavy TV watching is as common among U.S. eighth graders as it
is among their Japanese counterparts.
Conclusions
~~~~~~~~~~~
This report presents initial findings from TIMSS for eighth-grade
mathematics & science. A fuller understanding of our nation's
educational health must await data from the fourth & twelfth-grade
levels. The search for factors associated with student performance
is complicated because student achievement after eight years of
schooling is the product of many different factors. Furthermore,
the U.S. education system is large & decentralized with many
interrelated parts. No single factor in isolation from others
should be regarded as the answer to improving the performance of
U.S. eighth-grade students. With these cautions in mind, this
report offers the following insights into factors that may be
associated with our students' performance:
* The content of U.S. eighth-grade mathematics classes is not as
challenging as that of other countries, & topic coverage is
not as focused.
* Most U.S. mathematics teachers report familiarity with reform
recommendations, only a few apply the key points in their
classrooms.
* Evidence suggests that U.S. teachers do not receive as much
practical training & daily support as their German & Japanese
colleagues.
TIMSS is not an answer book, but a mirror through which we can see
our own education system in international perspective. Careful
study of our nation's reflection in the mirror of international
comparisons will assist educators, business leaders, teachers, &
parents as they guide our nation in the pursuit of excellence.
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Kirk Winters
Office of the Under Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
kirk_winters@ed.gov
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