MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM,
TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM, AND
SUPPORTING POLICIES
in Korea and the United States
SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP
Ana Ferreras, Cathy Kessel, and Myong-Hi Kim, Rapporteurs
U.S. National Commission on Mathematics Instruction
Board on International Scientific Organizations
Policy and Global Affairs
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This activity was supported by Grant No. DRL1214813 from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization or agencies that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-37436-1
International Standard Book Number-10:0-309-37436-7
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2015. Mathematics Curriculum, Teacher Professionalism, and Supporting Policies in Korea and the United States. Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
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WORKSHOP PLANNING COMMITTEE
KOREA
Oh Nam Kwon, Cochair
Seoul National University
Mi-Kyung Ju
Hanyang University
Hyunyong Shin
Seoul National University
UNITED STATES
Patrick Scott, Cochair
New Mexico Inquiry Science Education
Gail F. Burrill
Michigan State University
Janine T. Remillard
University of Pennsylvania
U.S. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION
2014 ROSTER
(as of December 31, 2014)
Janine T. Remillard, Chair
University of Pennsylvania
Gail Burrill, Vice Chair
Michigan State University
James Barta
Bemidji State University
Sybilla Beckmann
University of Georgia
Myong-Hi (Nina) Kim
SUNY College at Old Westbury
Bernard Madison
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
John Staley
Baltimore County Public Schools
James Roznowski
Delta College, Emeritus
Padmanabhan Seshaiyer
George Mason University
Ex-Officio Members
Roger Howe (NAS)
Yale University
Patrick (Rick) Scott, Past Chair
Los Alamos National Lab Foundation
Donald Saari (NAS)
Distinguished Professor and Director
NAS Foreign Secretary
Michael Clegg (NAS)
Department of Ecology and Evolution
Staff
Ana M. Ferreras
Senior Program Officer
Board on International Scientific Organizations
Pamela Gamble
Administrative Assistant
Board on International Scientific Organizations
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Preface and Acknowledgments
In 2012, the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education was held in Korea. The United States National Commission on Mathematics Instruction (USNC/MI) took advantage of this opportunity to organize a joint Korea–U.S. workshop on mathematics education, which was held at Seoul National University after the congress. It brought together about 40 teachers, mathematics educators, mathematicians, education researchers, and other mathematics education specialists from Korea and the United States.
During the workshop, speakers gave presentations on different aspects of education in the two countries: education policy; the interpretation of standards and curriculum guidelines in textbooks, teacher’s manuals, and instruction; and the organization of teaching. A substantial portion of the workshop was devoted to discussion (see workshop agenda in Appendix A). Participants from both countries commented on aspects of the presentations that were notable from their perspectives as teacher, educator, researcher, or mathematician. They described details of their experiences and mentioned differences in educational systems that were new to planning committee members. This summary is an edited version of the workshop presentations and comments.
This is the third report of a bilateral USNC/MI workshop. The first two reports are Studying Classroom Teaching as a Medium for Professional Development: Proceedings of a U.S.–Japan Workshop (2002) and The Teacher Development Continuum in the United States and China: Summary of a Workshop (2010). All three reports are available for download, free of charge, from the National Academy Press website, www.nap.edu.
The workshop was planned and organized by a binational committee, with the assistance of a staff member from the Board on International Scientific Organizations (Ana Ferreras).
Support from the National Science Foundation and Seoul National University is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks to Professor Oh Nam Kwon, Teacher Seoungyee Choi, and Professor Kwon’s 10 graduate students—Hyungmi Cho, Mihye Cho, Ji Eun Lee, Eun Ji Kim, Young Hye Kim, Youngki Kim, Yujung Kim, Miyeong Na, Hye Mi Oh, and Kukhwan Oh. Professor Kwon not only supported the workshop from her grant but also hosted dinners that allowed informal discussion among participants. During the two weeks before the workshop, her students stayed up late to explore questions and locate information of possible interest to U.S. participants. During the workshop, they provided assistance that allowed it to flow smoothly.
This summary has been prepared by the workshop rapporteurs as a factual summary of the main presentations and discussion at the July 2012 workshop. The translations were made by Myong-Hi Kim. The statements made in this summary are those of the rapporteurs or individual workshop participants and do not necessarily represent the views of all workshop participants,
the USNC/MI, or the Academies. Special thanks to Rita Johnson for editing and organizing the workshop participants’ comments and preparing the report for release.
Acknowledgment of Reviewers
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for quality and objectivity. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Roger Howe, Yale University; Ok-Kyeong Kim, Western Michigan University; Saeja Kim, University of Massachusetts; Catherine Lewis, Mills College; W. James Lewis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Sunsook Noh, Ewha Womans University.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Francis Fennell, McDaniel College; appointed by the Academies, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the institution.
Contents
Chapter 2 Mathematics Curriculum in Korea
Chapter 3 Mathematics Curriculum in the United States
Chapter 4 Development of Instructional Materials in Korea
Chapter 5 Teachers, Teacher Preparation, and Professional Development in Korea
Chapter 6 Teachers, Professional Development, and Special Education in the United States
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