Comparative Study of Mathematics Classrooms – What can be learned from the TIMSS 1999 Video Study

Abstract

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study aims at describing and comparing eighth-grade mathematics teaching practices among seven countries in order to identify similar or different classroom features. Since East Asian students have consistently performed well in recent international studies of mathematics achievement, this paper intends to analyze the TIMSS Video Study data for the East Asian country of Hong Kong in order to see whether there are classroom practices that can be used to explain students’ high achievement in mathematics. The data analysis however yields conflicting results. While a qualitative analysis of the data shows that the quality of mathematics teaching in Hong Kong is high, a quantitative analysis of the same data shows that teaching in Hong Kong is rather traditional and teacher-centred. The conflicting results point to the complexity in interpreting video data on classroom practices and of achievement data in international studies. The results are then interpreted with respect to the underlying cultural values in East Asia, and implications for methodology in analyzing video data, as well as for educational reform in East Asian countries and other countries are discussed.