This recent PHYSLRNR post contributes to
1) the discussion about what TIMSS teaches us, and
2) to the debate between Leigh Palmer and Dewey Dykstra on all students'
ability to learn science (and by implication, math).
Cheers,
Jane Jackson
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Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 14:20:48 +0200
From: D J Grayson <Graysdj@unisa.ac.za>
Subject: Re: What Does TIMSS Teach Us?
Firstly, on the TIMMS results:
I recently looked at the maths results in three bands- East Asian countries
(highest), "the West" (N America, Australia, W Europe), the developing
world ( with South Africa close to the bottom). After three months in
Japan earlier this year I have two thoughts as to why the East Asian
countries do so well. (1) The belief that "some people are just good at
maths, others are not" so prevalent in the west does not appear to be so
widely held in Japan, at least not at school level. Rather, the dominant
belief seems to be that all children can learn to do all subjects (though
of course not at the same pace or the same level) given enough effort. (2)
The belief that achievement is largely a result of effort permeates
Japanese society - people who do not do well need to work harder.
...
Diane Grayson
Professor of Science Education
University of South Africa
UNISA 0003
South Africa
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Jane Jackson, Co-Director, Modeling Instruction Program
Box 871504, Dept.of Physics & Astronomy,ASU,Tempe,AZ 85287
480-965-8438/fax:965-7331. http://modeling.la.asu.edu