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Listed below are some selected findings from the mathematics portion of the TIMSS 1999 Video study. Additional findings are presented in the following documents:
Download TIMSS 1999 Video Study Math Highlights
TIMSS 1999 Video Study Math results released
March 26, 2003
See also the Reports section of this website: http://lessonlab.com/timss1999/reports.htm
Teaching in all seven countries shared some general features. These include:
- At least 80 percent of lesson time was devoted to solving mathematics problems;
- Lessons included both whole-class and individual work;
- Most lessons included some time for review and some time for introducing and practicing new content;
- At least 90 percent of lessons used a textbook or worksheet of some kind; and
- Teachers talked more than students at a ratio of at least 8:1 words.
While the countries shared similarities in the ways they approach the teaching of mathematics, there was discernable variation. Some of the differences observed across the countries include:
- The amount of time spent on review and the introduction and practice of new content
Review of previously taught lessons played a larger role in mathematics lessons in the Czech Republic and the United States than in the five other countries where more time was devoted to introducing new content.
Average percentage of eighth-grade mathematics lesson time devoted to various purposes, by country: 1999
1Japanese mathematics data were collected in 1995.
2AU=Australia; CZ=Czech Republic; HK=Hong Kong SAR; JP=Japan; NL=Netherlands; SW=Switzerland; and US=United States.
3Practicing New Content: HK>CZ, JP, SW.
4Introducing New Content: HK, SW>CZ, US; JP>AU, CZ, HK, NL, SW, US.
5Reviewing: CZ>AU, HK, JP, NL, SW; US>HK, JP.
NOTE: For each country, average percentage was calculated as the sum of the percentage within each lesson, divided by the number of lessons. Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding and the possibility of coding portions of lessons as "not able to make a judgment about the purpose."
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Video Study, 1999.
- The level of procedural complexity of mathematics problems
Compared to all of the other countries in the study, Japanese mathematics lessons included fewer low complexity problems and more high complexity problems. Teachers in the other countries presented problems of mostly low or moderate complexity.
Average percentage of eighth-grade mathematics problems per lesson at each level of procedural complexity, by country: 1999
1Japanese mathematics data were collected in 1995.
2AU=Australia; CZ=Czech Republic; HK=Hong Kong SAR; JP=Japan; NL=Netherlands; SW=Switzerland; and US=United States.
3High complexity: JP>AU, CZ, HK, NL, SW, US.
4Moderate complexity: HK>AU; JP>AU, SW.
5Low complexity: AU, CZ, HK, NL, SW, US>JP.
NOTE: Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding. For each country, average percentage was calculated as the sum of the percentage within each lesson, divided by the number of lessons.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Video Study, 1999.
- The ways in which mathematical problems were discussed and worked on
An examination of the ways in which mathematical problems were discussed and worked on during the lessons reveals that teachers in Australia and the United States were the least likely to emphasize mathematical connections or relationships. American teachers were particularly likely to focus on the procedures used to solve the problems.
Average percentage of problems per eighth-grade mathematics lesson solved by explicitly using processes of each type, by country: 1999
1Japanese mathematics data were collected in 1995.
2AU=Australia; CZ=Czech Republic; HK=Hong Kong SAR; JP=Japan; NL=Netherlands; and US=United States.
3Making connections: CZ, HK, NL>AU, US; JP>AU, CZ, HK, US.
4Stating concepts: AU, CZ, HK, JP>US; NL>CZ, US.
5Using procedures: HK>JP; US>CZ, JP, NL.
6Giving results only: AU, CZ, US>HK, JP, NL; HK, NL>JP.
NOTE: Analyses only include problems with a publicly presented solution. Analyses do not include answered-only problems (i.e., problems that were completed prior to the videotaped lesson and only their answers were shared). For each country, average percentage was calculated as the sum of the percentage within each lesson, divided by the number of lessons. English transcriptions of Swiss lessons were not available for mathematical processes analyses. Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Video Study, 1999.
Some broad conclusions that can be drawn from the study include:
- High-achieving countries do not teach mathematics in the same way
- Japan is quite distinct from all the other countries, but each country seems to have its own pattern of teaching
- A variety of methods can be examined to improve teaching
- Serious study is required to chose the most effective methods in order to achieve specific learning goals
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