Collectively, the book extends beyond what we can learn about exemplary practices in individual education systems in East Asia. It helps us develop a better understanding of the interplay between various measures for the pursuit of excellence in mathematics curriculum and teacher education on the one hand, and the different system contexts on the other.

This book sheds light on school mathematics curricula in Asian countries, including their design and the recent reforms that have been initiated. By discussing and analyzing various problematic aspects of curriculum development and implementation in a number of East and South Asian countries and offering insights into these countries’ unique approaches to supplementing school mathematics curricula, it contributes to shaping effective policies for implementation, assessment and monitoring of curricula. The book covers a wide range of issues: curriculum design, localization of curricula, directions of curricular reforms, mathematics textbooks, assessment within the curriculum and teachers’ professional development, which are of interest to a wide international audience.

The idea of the ICMI Study 13 is outlined as follows: Education in any social environment is influenced in many ways by the traditions of these environments. This study brings together leading experts to research and report on mathematics education in a global context. Mathematics education faces a split phenomenon of difference and correspondence. A study attempting a comparison between mathematics education in different traditions will be helpful to understanding this phenomenon.

This book offers a counterpart to the extensive corpus of literature available on the same topic from a Western perspective. It showcases innovative approaches to professional development of mathematics teachers in Asian countries, and reports on both empirical and expository studies of teachers’ professional development in these counties. It provides scholars from non-English-speaking and under-represented Asian countries the opportunity to engage in discourse with other scholars in the field, and is the first book to present substantial contributions from scholars in Asia on the professional development of mathematics teachers in their respective countries. It includes perspectives that shed valuable light on how the approaches pursued in Asian countries resemble or differ from those in the West.

This book comprises the Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-12), which was held at COEX in Seoul, Korea, from July 8th to 15th, 2012. ICME-12 brought together 3500 experts from 92 countries, working to understand all of the intellectual and attitudinal challenges in the subject of mathematics education as a multidisciplinary research and practice. This work aims to serve as a platform for deeper, more sensitive and more collaborative involvement of all major contributors towards educational improvement and in research on the nature of teaching and learning in mathematics education. It introduces the major activities of ICME-12 which have successfully contributed to the sustainable development of mathematics education across the world. The program provides food for thought and inspiration for practice for everyone with an interest in mathematics education and makes an essential reference for teacher educators, curriculum developers and researchers in mathematics education. The work includes the texts of the four plenary lectures and three plenary panels and reports of three survey groups, five National presentations, the abstracts of fifty one Regular lectures, reports of thirty seven Topic Study Groups and seventeen Discussion Groups.

Mathematics Education for Sustainable Economic Growth and Job Creation considers the need for young employees to be capable and confident with transferable knowledge and skills in mathematics and statistics in order to support economic growth in developing countries in an increasingly digital age. This book draws on differing international perspectives in relation to mathematics education for sustainable economic growth and job creation. The contributors include education researchers and those involved in policymaking for both developing countries and beyond. Within each chapter, there is a reflection from the authors on their experiences in educational systems and policy development or research studies, which contribute to sustainable economic growth in different countries. As well as considerations of economies and job creation, the scholarship delves further into developing a critically aware citizenship through mathematics education. Extending current thinking about the role of mathematics education and educating students for future needs, this book will be of great interest for academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the field of mathematics education, STEM education and sustainability education.

This book examines the evolution and innovation of teacher education in Singapore in the 21st century. It covers teacher education reforms in the conceptualising and implementing of the Teacher Education for the 21st Century (TE21) Model and discusses curriculum improvements that are aligned to new competencies; values development that re-envision teacher professionalism and calling; pedagogical changes that emphasise self-directed inquiry and technology-enabled learning; strengthened theory–practice linkages and enhanced teaching practices through school partnerships and mentoring; and impactful education research in areas such as assessment and developing teaching competencies, practices and mentoring. Teacher education in Singapore focuses on developing professional leaders in the field of education who are proactive problem-solvers and empowered researchers. It entails a long-term vision of education and an innovative approach to develop teachers with design skills and an inquiring mindset to understand learners in the fast-changing digital and mobile world. This book is aimed at scholars, researchers, policymakers, teacher educators and teachers as well as anyone interested in learning the philosophy behind Singapore’s unique TE21 Model for the 21st century and beyond.

This book reviews the Teacher Education and Development Study: Learning to Teach Mathematics, which tested 23,000 primary and secondary level math teachers from 16 countries on content knowledge and asked their opinions on beliefs and opportunities to learn.

This book provides a one-stop resource for mathematics educators, policy makers and all who are interested in learning more about the why, what and how of mathematics education in Singapore. The content is organized according to three significant and closely interrelated components: the Singapore mathematics curriculum, mathematics teacher education and professional development, and learners in Singapore mathematics classrooms. Written by leading researchers with an intimate understanding of Singapore mathematics education, this up-to-date book reports the latest trends in Singapore mathematics classrooms, including mathematical modelling and problem solving in the real-world context.

Accumulated research findings in past decades have led to the common knowledge that teachers’ professional knowledge is essential to effective classroom instruction. However, there is still very limited understanding about the nature of teachers’ expertise in mathematics instruction. Expertise in Mathematics Instruction addresses this need clearly and concisely. In particular, it examines all aspects of emphases employed to characterize the nature of expertise in mathematics instruction from both researchers’ and practitioners’ perspectives. Moreover, with research contributions from both the East and the West, this book also examines ideas pertinent to fostering and demonstrating expertise in mathematics instruction within different system contexts. This book will raise questions and issues for mathematics education researchers to guide a critical examination of what can be learned from other education systems. Expertise in Mathematics Instruction builds on its theoretical and methodological approach with contributions from international experts in the field. Additionally, a review of related research from mathematics education serves as an introduction to the new research in both Eastern and Western settings. Concluding this resource is a reflection on the benefits of this international collaboration and possible research directions for the future. The final chapter cohesively joins traditional and current research for action. Expertise in Mathematics Instruction is of interest to researchers in mathematics education, mathematics teacher educators, and mathematics educators.