# Presentation: 925754

## Improving Mathematics Teaching: Learnings from TIMSS Video

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

*Presentation to National Math Panel*
- Jim Stigler
- UCLA and Pearson
- November 6, 2006

## Today 

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- Today’s presentation:
- TIMSS Video study
- Implications for improving teaching
- Assumptions:
- Classroom as the “final common pathway”
- Teaching can be studied and improved

- Today

## TIMSS Video: Background

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- Two large studies, data collection in 1995 and 1999
- Strategy: video survey
- Goals:
- Investigate “average teaching”
- Compare teaching across countries, especially U.S. vs. high-achieving countries

**Notes:**
3
The initial problem faced by the 1995 TIMSS Video Study was how to collect a large enough sample to claim is was nationally representation and collect enough detail to study teaching (rather than an over-simplified facsimile).
Large-scale studies in the past had been conducted using teacher self-reports on questionnaires, with all the well-known (validity) difficulties; on the other hand, many case studies of teaching have been conducted with the accompanying problems of generalizability.

Question: Why do another video study?
To elaborate the concept of video survey
But there are other reasons as well . . .

## TIMSS Video: What I Learned

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- Teaching is cultural, varies more across than within cultures
- No single “best” instructional approach – diversity among high-achieving countries
- Key intervening variable: engaging students in making sense of rigorous mathematics

**Instructional**
**Approaches**

**Student**
**Achievement**

**Notes:**
4
The initial problem faced by the 1995 TIMSS Video Study was how to collect a large enough sample to claim is was nationally representation and collect enough detail to study teaching (rather than an over-simplified facsimile).
Large-scale studies in the past had been conducted using teacher self-reports on questionnaires, with all the well-known (validity) difficulties; on the other hand, many case studies of teaching have been conducted with the accompanying problems of generalizability.

Question: Why do another video study?
To elaborate the concept of video survey
But there are other reasons as well . . .

## Improving Teaching

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- Using rich problems as a lever for change: the ALFA project
- The power of incremental, yet sustainable, improvements in quality of average teaching

**Notes:**
5
The initial problem faced by the 1995 TIMSS Video Study was how to collect a large enough sample to claim is was nationally representation and collect enough detail to study teaching (rather than an over-simplified facsimile).
Large-scale studies in the past had been conducted using teacher self-reports on questionnaires, with all the well-known (validity) difficulties; on the other hand, many case studies of teaching have been conducted with the accompanying problems of generalizability.

Question: Why do another video study?
To elaborate the concept of video survey
But there are other reasons as well . . .

## ALFA Project

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- Random-assignment evaluation of professional development program (Pearson) that focuses on using rich problems to connect students with rigorous mathematics
- Two findings so far:
- Stable implementation settings a key to success; teachers must have a time and place to work on improving teaching
- Positive effects on student learning (district quarterly assessments), BUT only for teachers with enough content knowledge to benefit from the pd

**Notes:**
6
The initial problem faced by the 1995 TIMSS Video Study was how to collect a large enough sample to claim is was nationally representation and collect enough detail to study teaching (rather than an over-simplified facsimile).
Large-scale studies in the past had been conducted using teacher self-reports on questionnaires, with all the well-known (validity) difficulties; on the other hand, many case studies of teaching have been conducted with the accompanying problems of generalizability.

Question: Why do another video study?
To elaborate the concept of video survey
But there are other reasons as well . . .

## ALFA Project: Interaction Effect

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- No evidence that teacher content knowledge alone produces more student learning

- But content knowledge necessary for teachers to make use of pd

**Notes:**
7
The initial problem faced by the 1995 TIMSS Video Study was how to collect a large enough sample to claim is was nationally representation and collect enough detail to study teaching (rather than an over-simplified facsimile).
Large-scale studies in the past had been conducted using teacher self-reports on questionnaires, with all the well-known (validity) difficulties; on the other hand, many case studies of teaching have been conducted with the accompanying problems of generalizability.

Question: Why do another video study?
To elaborate the concept of video survey
But there are other reasons as well . . .

## Improving Teaching

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

**Teaching Quality**

**LOW**

**HIGH**

**Strategy #1:**
**Recruit higher quality teachers**

**Problem:**
**Limited gains possible**

## Improving Teaching

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

**Teaching Quality**

**LOW**

**HIGH**

**Strategy #2:**
**Improve teachers’ competencies**

**Problem:**
**Back to zero as teachers leave and new teachers are hired**

## Improving Teaching

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

**2006**

**Teaching Quality**

**LOW**

**HIGH**

**Strategy #3:**
**Improve knowledge base and methods over time**

## Conclusion

- Jim Stigler – November 6, 2006

- Teaching is the final common pathway for efforts to improve education
- Teaching can be studied and improved
- We must work on the problem of creating a usable knowledge base to guide long-term sustainable improvements in teaching over time

**Notes:**
11
The initial problem faced by the 1995 TIMSS Video Study was how to collect a large enough sample to claim is was nationally representation and collect enough detail to study teaching (rather than an over-simplified facsimile).
Large-scale studies in the past had been conducted using teacher self-reports on questionnaires, with all the well-known (validity) difficulties; on the other hand, many case studies of teaching have been conducted with the accompanying problems of generalizability.

Question: Why do another video study?
To elaborate the concept of video survey
But there are other reasons as well . . .