B R I E F L Y No. 11 • NOVEMBER 2011 Emma Näslund-Hadley Armando Loera
N O T E D
INSIDE THE MATH CLASSROOM: WHAT MAKES A TEACHER EFFECTIVE?
S um m a r y: What actually goes on inside Latin American math classrooms? Do teachers in higher-performing countries teach math differently from those in lower-performing ones? To explore these questions, the IDB went inside math classrooms in three countries. For quantitative indicators on teaching practices, we used a methodology that had explained test score differences across Japan, the United States, and Germany, complemented by graphic maps of pedagogical flows. This note, based on initial and partial results from our analysis, highlights the math teaching practices that appear to be most effective.
Latin American Math Classes Are Black Boxes The generally poor performance of Latin American students on international math exams is well documented (OECD 2009, IEA 2007). It is also well known that within the region, students in some countries perform better than their peers in others (UNESCO-LLECE 2008). Some of these learning differences are likely related to the characteristics of teachers, students, and schools: teachers’ years of experience and training levels, students’ socioeconomic backgrounds, and the conditions of school infrastructure (Levin and Lockheed 1993; UNESCO-LLECE 2008). Beyond such associated factors, not much is known about how variations in learning relate to differences in the pedagogical approach used in Latin American classrooms.
Large-Scale Video Recordings Produce Quantitative Indicators Since very little is known about how math lessons are conducted in Latin American schools, the IDB decided to go inside the classroom. We set out to identify cross-country differences in teaching practices by filming sixth-grade samples in three countries. Of the three countries selected for the study, two— Paraguay and the Dominican Republic—perform at the bottom of the regional comparative test, SERCE, and one is a top performer, the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. In 2010 we filmed math classes in 291 schools, covering over 84 percent of the SERCE sixth-grade sample for the three countries. We wish to thank the Knowledge Economy Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank for financing this study. Edited by Steven B. Kennedy • Design and layout by Laura C. Johnson
Copyright © IDB 2011 • Inter-American Development Bank 1300 New York Avenue, N.W. • Washington, DC 20577 • USA
The views and interpretations in this document are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Inter-American Development Bank, or to any individual acting on its behalf. This note may be freely reproduced provided credit is given to the Education Division–SCL, Inter-American Development Bank.