Math Education Styles in US and Japan

Introduction

Teaching is a very valuable resource that very few individuals actually consider doing. There are two different types of teachers; those that relate to the student and the teacher that just teaches to get the paycheck at the end of the day. The thing that sets the first apart from the latter one is the fact that the teacher alters his or her style based on the type of student he or she is teaching. This is what makes the teacher and educator. Several individuals do not see the need to change your style based on who you teach. However, my own view is that you need to change styles based on the fact that people around the world speak different languages and have different learning abilities; therefore if you want to be a successful teacher you must adapt your teaching style towards the different individuals. Though I admit that sometimes it is hard to change styles once you have been teaching a while, I still maintain that in order to be a teacher that the students love and remember in the future you must change your style. The educator needs to teach different subjects differently based on the nationality, sex, age, and other numerous things that differ between individuals.

In this paper I will focus on the nationality particular American and Japanese. Instead of exploring all subjects I will focus on Mathematics, and what makes a math teacher a math educator. It is apparent the need to switch while in a different country, but the fact remains that there are several schools in the United States that have multiple nationalities and it is the teachers job to switch their outlook on teaching so that they can become an educator. This is done by really focusing on the individual instead of the whole class.

For example, I had a math teacher in eighth grade that really changed his style to help us that where more advance than his previous classes, because he did this I have always remembered him, and he is one of the main reasons that I decided to become a math teacher. Although some might object that having effective teaching styles are not important, I reply that think of your favorite teacher and imagine if he or she had not spent the time to really think about the best way to teach that particular subject to you and your peers. This issue is important because everybody needs to learn math and things are continuing to change. We also need to be aware of the effect that we as future teachers have on our students.

What is Mathematics?

According to Webster’s Dictionary mathematics is defined as the science of numbers and their operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations, and abstractions and of space configurations and their structure, measurement, transformations, and generalizations. Math is used all day everyday by everyone. Due to this nature it is very important that all individuals know the basics of math, this is why we need to make sure that our children are getting the best education that is possible. Explaining the need to make sure that the teachers are making sure that their style of teaching is what is best for the individuals they are responsible for teaching.

What is Education?

There are several different types of education found within the United States. There is elementary or primary education this includes kindergarten through about 8^th grade. The next step in ones education is secondary education. This is often referred to as high school which consists of 9^th through 12^th grade. The next step and for most people the final step in their education is post-secondary or higher education, otherwise known as college or university. Now that your mind has been refreshed regarding math and education it is time to get into the paper.

Mathematics in the United States

Teaching math in the United States just like any other country takes talent. It is important to develop a good style that helps your students to do well on standardized test. According to the Third Inter-national Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) that was conducted in the years 1995 and ’99 the U.S. did not do very well compared to other countries (Hiebert 114). In the year 1995 the U.S. scored the lowest with a 492 the next lowest score was produced by Australia with a 519 (Hiebert 114). The next time this study was conducted, 1999, the U.S. improved their score by ten points however they still produced the lowest score of the seven countries that participated in the experiment. It is also important to help the students to continue to have a desire to further their education in that subject. One of the most common ways of teaching math in the U.S. is teaching the material first and the working on the application; this includes quizzes and test (Hennessy 700). When the teacher chooses to teach in this manner it tends to limit the amount that each student can participate in while attending class. This is due to the fact that when you teach the material in a lecture-like manner the teacher is responsible for leading the class through several examples and making sure that they understand the subject matter (Hennessy 700). Another aspect of education that sets the U.S. apart for Japan and other countries is the fact that a classroom in America tends to be interrupted quite frequently for various reasons. When a teacher is interrupted and needs to take a break from teaching so that the conflict may be resolved the students tend to forget what was being taught at the moment of the interruption, therefore the teacher needs to spend time to go back and make sure that the students understand.