The number of topics introduced in math and science classrooms also has implications for how teachers present the material. It seems that in an attempt to cover a wide range of topics, U.S. teachers tend to lecture rather than allowing time for student groups to engage in problem solving. Thus, poor U.S. performance on the math test cannot be explained by time, but how that time is spent. Another significant finding of the curriculum analyses is that U.S. curriculum guides tend to have general objectives spanning three or four grades, in contrast to specific objectives for every grade used in other countries. In addition, U.S. textbooks mirror this trend by including a great variety of topics.
Teachers emphasize coverage of content over understanding content matter.
The research on teacher practice and curriculum suggests a number of significant differences in teaching and continuing education for teachers that should not be overlooked. The content was coded to disguise any references to the lesson's country of origin. As illustrated earlier, teacher perceptions about their teaching methods are not in line with the latest research on content standards and best practice. Current incentives and rewards for teachers to pursue ongoing professional development promote an emphasis on the college degree obtained as opposed to the quality and applicability of the knowledge to classroom practice. All rights reserved.