Mathematics Curriculum Reforms Around The World

This Open Access volume by the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) is an outcome of the ICMI Study 24 and gives a status-quo of school mathematics reform around the world and what we can learn from this movement. Each theme and section of the book offers descriptions and analyses of multiple case studies in different countries and contexts, along with opportunities to compare, contrast and learn from these diverse experiences. The volume provides a synthesis and meta-analysis of the different historical, geographical and global aspects of school mathematics reforms and explores in which way curricula are elaborated, proposed, changed, and reorganized. It offers a more informed and comprehensive analysis of the roles of different actors and of the many aspects influencing and shaping mathematics curriculum reforms that are taking or have taken place. It also explores the possibilities and means to tackle a curricular reform in the current scenario we live in and how to unfold future developments. This book will be of interest to practitioners and scholars with an interest in school mathematics curriculum reforms. It will also be a useful resource to those involved in school mathematics curriculum reform initiatives by providing current information about the curriculum changes that are taking place in respect of content, teacher education, educational materials, and a range of implementation challenges across diverse contexts.

Curriculum can be defined in a variety of ways. It might be viewed as a body of knowledge, a product, or a process. Curricula can differ as they are conceptualized from various theoretical perspectives to address the needs of teachers, students, and the context of schooling. One reason to study curriculum is “to reveal the expectations, processes and outcomes of students’ school learning experiences that are situated in different cultural and system contexts. … further studies of curriculum practices and changes are much needed to help ensure the success of educational reforms in the different cultural and system contexts” (Kulm & Li, 2009, p. 709). This volume highlights international perspectives on curriculum and aims to broaden the wider mathematics education community’s understandings of mathematics curriculum through viewing a variety of ways that curricula are developed, understood, and implemented in different jurisdictions/countries. Within this volume, we define curriculum broadly as the set of mathematics standards or outcomes, the messages inherent in mathematics curriculum documents and resources, how these standards are understood by a variety of stakeholders, and how they are enacted in classrooms. The focus is on the written, implied, and enacted curriculum in various educational settings throughout the world.

At a time when political interest in mathematics education is at its highest, this book demonstrates that the issues are far from straightforward. A wide range of international contributors address such questions as: What is mathematics, and what is it for? What skills does mathematics education need to provide as technology advances? What are the implications for teacher education? What can we learn from past attempts to change the mathematics curriculum? Rethinking the Mathematics Curriculum offers stimulating discussions, showing much is to be learnt from the differences in culture, national expectations, and political restraints revealed in the book. This accessible book will be of particular interest to policy makers, curriculum developers, educators, researchers and employers as well as the general reader.

Collectively, the book extends beyond what we can learn about exemplary practices in individual education systems in East Asia. It helps us develop a better understanding of the interplay between various measures for the pursuit of excellence in mathematics curriculum and teacher education on the one hand, and the different system contexts on the other.