This book provides a unique international comparative perspective on diverse issues and practices in mathematics education between and among the US and five high-performing TIMSS education systems, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. The book offers multiple perspectives on the important factors that contribute to mathematics teaching and learning in different educational systems and cultural contexts. Using large scale data generated by numerous international comparative studies, the book analyzes and provides context for various methodological perspectives. The book raises compelling questions and issues for mathematics education researchers, leading to a critical examination of what can be learned from other education systems. Authors address four major research perspectives by critically examining cross-national similarities and differences, such as research on the influence of curriculum on student learning; research on institutional systems of mathematics teacher education; research on improving teacher knowledge and pedagogical approaches; and research using large-scale data. This collection of perspectives serves as a foundation for reviewing and analyzing the international comparative studies introduced in the book.

Educational practices have rapidly changed in the last few decades, especially in how exchanges of information and learning are delivered and processed. Yet, while the field of international comparative studies has grown, there has not been an extensive study on the relationship between educational practices, students, and how practitioners are prepared and trained. This handbook explores international educational practices and behaviours through new research and a review of existing research, with chapters spread across six parts: Part I: Introduction to Research Practices in Comparative Studies of Education Part II: Research Methods Part III: Policy Transfer Research through International Comparisons Part IV: Use of Student time in Formal and Informal Settings Part V: School Practices from Early Childhood through Secondary School Part VI: Conclusion - Lessons from Large Scale Studies

This volume provides an in-depth, comparative examination of how primary mathematics education is influenced by national education reform, policy, local resources, and culture in three different countries. By drawing on first-hand observations and interviews, as well as analysis of policy documents and learning resources, the book considers the viability of transferring best practices in primary mathematics education across global contexts. Three diverse countries – Ghana, the US, and Singapore – are explored. Similarities and differences are highlighted, and the influence of national and regional initiatives related to pedagogical strategies, teacher education, and cultural expectations are considered, to offer an insightful examination of how best practices might be shared across borders. This book will benefit researchers, academics, and postgraduate scholars with an interest in international and comparative education, mathematics, and educational policy. Those with a specialization in primary mathematics education, including pedagogy and teacher preparation, will also benefit from this book.

This book focuses on quantitative reasoning as an orienting framework to analyse learning, teaching and curriculum in mathematics and science education. Quantitative reasoning plays a vital role in learning concepts foundational to arithmetic, algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry and other ideas in STEM. The book draws upon the importance of quantitative reasoning and its crucial role in education. It particularly delves into quantitative reasoning related to the learning and teaching diverse mathematics and science concepts, conceptual analysis of mathematical and scientific ideas and analysis of school mathematics (K-16) curricula in different contexts. We believe that it can be considered as a reference book to be used by researchers, teacher educators, curriculum developers and pre- and in-service teachers.

With a focus on Asian contexts, this book brings together knowledge on how values and practices, embedded and practised in the classroom, school, family, and the society at large, can influence students’ motivation, engagement and psychological well-being. The book synthesizes research on students and systems from culturally diverse Asian countries and economies, including Cambodia, Hong Kong-China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and beyond. The book takes special interest in applying the insights gained from understanding students’ motivation, engagement, and well-being within their sociocultural contexts. Importantly, chapters in the book are grounded on thorough theoretical reviews and sound empirical findings, which together inform practical applications to enhance the motivation, engagement, and well-being of students in the Asian region. Taken together, this book will serve as a comprehensive and authoritative source for scholars, researchers, and practitioners (teachers, school policy makers, and educators in general) who are interested in examining and enhancing student motivation, engagement, and well-being from Asian perspectives.

This volume focuses on research related to mathematics curriculum. But rather than focusing on results of research, it focuses on lessons learned about conducting research on curriculum, whether about design and development, analysis of curriculum in the form of official standards or textbook instantiations, teacher intentions related to curriculum implementation, or actual classroom enactment. For scholars interested in curriculum research, the volume offers lessons about conducting curriculum research that have been learned by others engaged in such work, including frameworks, tools, and techniques, as well as challenges and issues faced, with solutions to address them. Sharing lessons from authors of different countries strengthens the broader mathematics research community and provides insights that can help researchers make important strides forward in research on mathematics curriculum.

This book discusses the strategies that the Singapore Education System has embarked to encourage school change and innovations. It documents the change journey of Specialized Schools and Future Schools in Singapore with a view to understand the key tenets that enable school wide change and reform. The intents for change and reform are to anchor the education system to the basic foundations and principles of education and yet enable the system as a whole to be malleable to change and globalization. It shows how Singapore enables diversity within a structured environment through innovations in Specialized and Future Schools, and highlights the systemic rationale behind various efforts in Specialized and Future Schools and the kinds of adaptations schools have made to leverage structures and make adjustments for their contexts.

This engaging open access book discusses how a values and valuing perspective can facilitate a more effective mathematics pedagogical experience, and allows readers to explore multiple applications of the values perspective across different education systems. It also clearly shows that teaching mathematics involves not only reasoning and feelings, but also students’ interactions with their cultural setting and each other. The book brings together the work of world leaders and new thinkers in mathematics educational research to improve the learning and teaching of mathematics. Addressing themes such as discovering hidden cultural values, a multicultural society and methodological issues in the investigation of values in mathematics, it stimulates readers to consider these topics in cross-cultural ways, and offers suggestions for research and classroom practice. It is a valuable resource for scholars of mathematics education, from early childhood through to higher education and an inspiring read for all mathematics teachers.

Critical Issues in Mathematics Education presents the significant contributions of Professor Alan Bishop within the mathematics education research community. Six critical issues, each of which have had paramount importance in the development of mathematics education research, are reviewed and include a discussion of current developments in each area. Teacher decision making, spatial/visualizing geometry, teachers and research, cultural/social aspects of mathematics education, sociopolitical issues, and values serve as the basic issues discussed in this examination of mathematics education over the last fifty years during which Professor Bishop has been active in the field. A comprehensive discussion of each of these topics is realized by offering the reader a classic research contribution of Professor Bishop’s together with commentary and invited chapters from leading experts in the field of mathematics education. Critical Issues in Mathematics Education will make an invaluable contribution to the ongoing reflection of mathematic education researchers worldwide, but also to policy makers and teacher educators who wish to understand some of the key issues with which mathematics education has been and still is concerned, and the context within which Professor Bishop’s key contributions to these research issues were made.