W.H. Schmidt - Böcker

This text presents conclusions from a multi-disciplinary, multi-national research project blending quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The project investigated the mathematics and science curriculum, teaching, and classroom practices in six countries. Focusing on classrooms for nine- and 13-year olds, this project culminated in the student, teacher, and school background questionnaires used in the recently conducted Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The work produced portraits of mathematics and science education that were different for each of the countries involved: France, Japan, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. It is proposed that these differences may be explained by the interaction of curriculum and pedagogy in a culturally specific manner which yields classroom learning experiences that are qualitatively different from country to country. This idea has implications for how international education research is interpreted.

This text presents conclusions from a multi-disciplinary, multi-national research project blending quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The project investigated the mathematics and science curriculum, teaching, and classroom practices in six countries. Focusing on classrooms for nine- and 13-year olds, this project culminated in the student, teacher, and school background questionnaires used in the recently conducted Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The work produced portraits of mathematics and science education that were different for each of the countries involved: France, Japan, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. It is proposed that these differences may be explained by the interaction of curriculum and pedagogy in a culturally specific manner which yields classroom learning experiences that are qualitatively different from country to country. This idea has implications for how international education research is interpreted.

Which goals and standards guide mathematics education across the world? This first report of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) explores this question by examining the rich data collected in the TIMSS Curriculum Analysis. This study includes an exhaustive, page-by-page inventory of mathematics content and other pedagogical characteristics collected from hundreds of textbooks and curriculum guides from almost 50 countries. These data document many important features of these countries' mathematics education curricula. The book examines important features of curriculum policy across the TIMSS countries, especially the role of textbooks and curriculum guides. It also portrays similarities and differences in mathematics curricula in the succession of objectives across grades. Additionally, it details characteristics of the mathematics curriculum as embodied in textbooks and curriculum guides intended for select grades. This book should be of interest to anyone concerned with mathematics education standards, curriculum policy, cross-national educational comparisons, and mathematics pedagogy.

Which goals and standards guide mathematics education across the world? This first report of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) explores this question by examining the rich data collected in the TIMSS Curriculum Analysis. This study includes an exhaustive, page-by-page inventory of mathematics content and other pedagogical characteristics collected from hundreds of textbooks and curriculum guides from almost 50 countries. These data document many important features of these countries' mathematics education curricula. The book examines important features of curriculum policy across the TIMSS countries, especially the role of textbooks and curriculum guides. It also portrays similarities and differences in mathematics curricula in the succession of objectives across grades. Additionally, it details characteristics of the mathematics curriculum as embodied in textbooks and curriculum guides intended for select grades. This book should be of interest to anyone concerned with mathematics education standards, curriculum policy, cross-national educational comparisons, and mathematics pedagogy.

Which goals and standards guide science education across the world? This first report of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) explores this question by examining data collected in the TIMSS Curriculum Analysis. This study includes an exhaustive, page-by-page inventory of science content and other pedagogical characteristics collected from hundreds of textbooks and curriculum guides from almost 50 countries. These data document many important features of these countries' mathematics education curricula. It examines important features of curriculum policy across the TIMSS countries, especially the role of textbooks and curriculum guides. It also portrays similarities and differences in science curricula in the succession of objectives across grades. Additionally, it details characteristics of the science curriculum as embodied in textbooks and curriculum guides intended for select grades. Th book should be of interest to anyone concerned with science education standards, curriculum policy, cross-national educational comparisons, and science pedagogy.

Which goals and standards guide science education across the world? This first report of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) explores this question by examining the data collected in the TIMSS Curriculum Analysis. The study includes a page-by-page inventory of science content and other pedagogical characteristics collected from textbooks and curriculum guides from almost 50 countries. This data documents many important features of these countries' mathematics education curricula. The book examines important features of curriculum policy across the TIMSS countries, especially the role of textbooks and curriculum guides. It also portrays similarities and differences in science curricula in the succession of objectives across grades. Additionally, it details characteristics of the science curriculum as embodied in textbooks and curriculum guides intended for select grades.

The report summarizes data from the TIMSS curriculum analysis and integrates it with teacher questionnaire data from the US, Japan, and Germany on science and mathematics topic coverage and instructional practices. The authors provide evidence of the unfocused nature of US mathematics and science curricular intentions, textbooks, and teacher practices. They offer the premise that producers of US textbooks and curriculum guides have attempted to answer calls for curricular reform by adding new content to already existing materials instead of devoting time to restructuring the materials. The authors also suggest that US teachers, inundated with a myriad of competing visions, are attempting to cover all the topics they confront in their resource documents and to meet all the instructional demands placed on them by those with a stake in education.

The report summarizes data from the TIMSS curriculum analysis and integrates it with teacher questionnaire data from the US, Japan, and Germany on science and mathematics topic coverage and instructional practices. The authors provide evidence of the unfocused nature of US mathematics and science curricular intentions, textbooks, and teacher practices. They offer the premise that producers of US textbooks and curriculum guides have attempted to answer calls for curricular reform by adding new content to already existing materials instead of devoting time to restructuring the materials. The authors also suggest that US teachers, inundated with a myriad of competing visions, are attempting to cover all the topics they confront in their resource documents and to meet all the instructional demands placed on them by those with a stake in education.

Which goals and standards guide science education across the world? This first report of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) explores this question by examining data collected in the TIMSS Curriculum Analysis. This study includes an exhaustive, page-by-page inventory of science content and other pedagogical characteristics collected from hundreds of textbooks and curriculum guides from almost 50 countries. These data document many important features of these countries' mathematics education curricula. It examines important features of curriculum policy across the TIMSS countries, especially the role of textbooks and curriculum guides. It also portrays similarities and differences in science curricula in the succession of objectives across grades. Additionally, it details characteristics of the science curriculum as embodied in textbooks and curriculum guides intended for select grades. Th book should be of interest to anyone concerned with science education standards, curriculum policy, cross-national educational comparisons, and science pedagogy.

Which goals and standards guide science education across the world? This first report of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) explores this question by examining data collected in the TIMSS Curriculum Analysis. This study includes an exhaustive, page-by-page inventory of science content and other pedagogical characteristics collected from hundreds of textbooks and curriculum guides from almost 50 countries. These data document many important features of these countries' mathematics education curricula. It examines important features of curriculum policy across the TIMSS countries, especially the role of textbooks and curriculum guides. It also portrays similarities and differences in science curricula in the succession of objectives across grades. Additionally, it details characteristics of the science curriculum as embodied in textbooks and curriculum guides intended for select grades. Th book should be of interest to anyone concerned with science education standards, curriculum policy, cross-national educational comparisons, and science pedagogy.

Thousands of official documents and textbooks were analyzed. Thousands of teachers, principals and other experts responded to survey questionnaires. A sample of mathematics teachers in three countries had their lessons videotaped. Hundreds of thousands of children in almost 50 countries were tested in mathematics and science. This report presents a closer look at US mathematics and science education through careful examination of TIMSS data. The authors believe this investigation shows how deceptive many often unquestioned assumptions about American education can be. Drawing upon many new analyses not previously reported and integrating these with previous analyses of TIMSS data, the authors develop and illustrate the argument that what happens to American students is the consequence of American beliefs that shape educational practice and the accretion of a myriad educational choices made in mathematics and science education.

How are curriculum policies translated into opportunities to learn in the classroom? This text presents findings from a large cross-national study of textbooks - the curriculum analysis of the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This study included a detailed, page-by-page, inventory of the mathematics and science content, pedagogy, and other characteristics collected from hundreds of textbooks in over 40 countries. Drawing on this data, the authors investigate the rhetorical and pedagogical features of textbooks to understand how they promote and constrain educational opportunities. They investigate how textbooks are constructed and how they structure diverse elements into prescriptions for teaching practice. The authors break new ground in understanding textbooks in terms of different educational opportunities that they make possible. The book examines policy implications from these new understandings. In particular, conclusions are offered regarding the role of textbooks in curriculum-driven educational reform, in light of their role as promoters of qualitatively distinct educational opportunities.