Maths Memos
International comparisons and maths education
22 January 2015
by
Steve Sparks
As a geologist, I have been lucky to travel to countries all
over the globe. Seeing what is being done elsewhere, experiencing
different cultures and learning new approaches always offers
opportunities to learn. This is no different in education.
Politicians and the media frequently compare what is happening in
other countries with what is happening in England. Indeed, in
recent years England's mathematics performance has often been
portrayed as below par and it is compared with countries that are
thought to have had more success. Jurisdictions that have performed
well in international league tables, such as Shanghai and
Singapore, have influenced recent reform.
In its Maths
Snapshot 'International
comparisons and maths education' ACME sets out the ways that
international comparisons are drawn on by politicians and the media
and identifies some of the challenges in copying policy from other
jurisdictions. We note that education systems are complex and
therefore it can be really difficult to capture the whole picture -
what works in one country may not necessarily work in another. ACME
also offers some advice about how to use international comparisons,
emphasising the need for expert analysis and research and the
importance of expert design and trialling when a 'borrowed' policy
is introduced.
I hope that I've provided a flavour of the themes
discussed in the Maths Snapshot. Take a look here to read
more.