The goals of this study are: (a) to identify the factors that contribute to elementary and secondary school students in Singapore, China and Japan outperforming U.S. students in mathematics and science; and (b) to explore potential curricular, pedagogical, administrative policy, or national priority changes that may close the achievement gap in mathematics and science.
Elementary and secondary school students in three Asian countries -- Singapore, China and Japan -- have consistently outperformed their U.S. counterparts in mathematics and science. (TIMSS, 1999-2007). In the U.S., the lag in mathematics and science continues in spite of national efforts to raise student achievement through more rigorous national and regional accreditation of schools (NCTM, 1995; NSTA, 2003), and through legislation like the No Child Left Behind Act (2002). In the Asian countries, students advance in mathematics and science in spite of large class sizes, (40 – 55 students per teacher). They also achieve their top rankings with less computer and multimedia technologies in the classrooms than is available in U.S. classrooms. (Desimone, et. al., 2005)
In the last 20 years, various studies have sought to understand this “international student achievement gap” in mathematics and science. In the early 1990s, the validity of cross-cultural comparisons of student achievement was debated. Westbury (1992) for example argues that the differences in the mathematics curricula as well as the sampling of students in China and the U.S. resulted in less-than meaningful comparisons. Baker (1993) however rebuts Westbury’s analysis. More systemic comparisons emerged by 1995: The International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has been tracking comparison data for mathematics and science achievement of U.S. students compared to that of students in other countries since 1995. TIMSS data have been collected in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. TIMSS 2007 results will be released in December, 2008. In 2003, TIMMS (now titled, “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study”) compared data from 79 countries in both science and mathematics in grades 4 and 8. Video documentation of teaching methodologies in mathematics and science classes was also employed in the 1999 and 2003 TIMSS. (TIMSS, 1999-2007). Table 1 shows that Singapore ranked highest in the world for 4th and 8th grade mathematics in 1999 and 2003. Table 2 show that it is ranked first for 4th grade and 8th grade science in 2003, and second for both grades in 1999. Japan and China (Hong Kong, SAR) are ranked among the top five countries in both grade levels and both subjects for 1999 and 2003. (TIMSS, 1999-2007)
The TIMMS data have also been used to examine other dimensions, such as teacher preparation, educational and public policy, and parental values about education. (Lee, 1999; Moy and Peverly, 2005; Roth, et. al., 2006; Stigler, et. al, 1999; Tsui, 2005) Some U.S. educators and officials are increasingly concerned that U.S. students' mediocre skills in math and science along with the complacency and lack of political will to change this trend will contribute to the decline in America’s economic and political strength in the global arena. (Cavanagh, 2007).
A meta-analysis will attempt to integrate some of the disparate findings among previous studies. By gaining a deeper understanding of the key variables that contribute to high mathematics and science performance among students in Singapore, China and Japan, U.S. educators may gain insights about how to raise mathematics and science achievement levels among U.S. students. Indeed, the key variables identified may be deeply attitudinal, cultural or traditional to Singapore, China and Japan. It is unlikely that Americans would quickly adopt new attitudes or priorities if they differ significantly from their present attitudes and priorities. Nevertheless, the knowledge and understanding of what accounts for the “international achievement gap” dramatizes the choice our nation needs to make: Will the nation rally to make a major commitment to raise expectations about excelling in mathematics and science? Or are we willing to lose our place as a major player in the global community?
References
Baker, D. P. (1993) Compared to Japan, the U.S. Is a Low Achiever... Really: New Evidence and Comment on Westbury Educational Researcher, 22, (3 Apr) 18-20
Cavanagh, S. (2007) Asian Equation, Education Week, 26 (39, June), 22-26.
Desimone, L. M.; Smith, T.; Baker, D; and Ueno, K. (2005) Assessing Barriers to the Reform of U.S. Mathematics Instruction from an International Perspective. American Educational Research Journal, 42 (3, Fall), 501-535.
No Child Left Behind Act, Pub. L. No. 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425 (2002).
Lee, J. (1999). Missing links in international education studies: Can we compare the U.S. with East Asian countries in the TIMSS? International Electronic Journal, 3(18). Retrieved October 17, 2007, from http://www.ucalgary.ca/~iejll
Moy, R.; Peverly, S. T. (2005) Perceptions of Mathematics Curricula and Teaching in China Psychology in the Schools, 42 (3, Mar) 251-258
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 1995) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Retrieved November 1, 2007: http://www.nctm.org
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA, 2003) NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation. Retrieved November 1, 2007: http://www.nsta.org
Roth, K. J., Druker, S. L., Garnier, H., Lemmens, M., Chen, C., Kawanaka, T., et al. (2006). Teaching science in five countries: Results from the TIMSS 1999 video study (NCES 2006-011). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 1, 2007: http://nces.ed.gov.library3.webster.edu/timss
Stigler, J. W., Gonzales, P., Kawanaka, T., Knoll, S., & Serrano, A. (1999). The TIMSS videotape classroom study: Methods and findings from an exploratory research project on eighth-grade mathematics instruction in Germany, Japan, and the United States (NCES 1999-074). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) (1999-2007) Institute for Educational Sciences. National Center for Educational Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved November 1, 2007: http://nces.ed.gov.library3.webster.edu/timss/
Tsui, M. (2005) Family Income, Home Environment, Parenting, and Mathematics Achievement of Children in China and the United States, Education and Urban Society, 37 (3), 336-355.
Wang, J.; Lin, E. (2005) Comparative Studies on U. S. and Chinese Mathematics Learning and the Implications for Standards-Based Mathematics Teaching Reform Educational Researcher, 34 (5, Jun-Jul), 3-13
Westbury, I. (1992) Comparing American and Japanese Achievement: Is the United States Educational Researcher, 21 (5) 18-24. Really a Low Achiever?
