In science, the degree of topic focus in the U.S. eighth-grade curriculum may be similar to that of other countries. In recent years, concern about the quality of instruction in U.S. classrooms has led mathematics professional organizations to issue calls for reform. U.S. mathematics teachers' typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers' goal is to help them understand mathematical concepts. Japanese teachers widely practice what the U.S. mathematics reform recommends, while U.S. teachers do so infrequently. Although most U.S. math teachers report familiarity with reform recommendations, only a few apply the key points in their classrooms.
Japanese teachers have more opportunities to discuss teaching- related issues than do U.S. teachers.
In Japan, no ability grouping is practiced at this grade level. Heavy TV watching is as common among U.S. eighth graders as it is among their Japanese counterparts. The search for factors associated with student performance is complicated because student achievement after eight years of schooling is the product of many different factors. No single factor in isolation from others should be regarded as the answer to improving the performance of U.S. eighth-grade students. Most U.S. mathematics teachers report familiarity with reform recommendations, only a few apply the key points in their classrooms.