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Toward an International Mathematics Curriculum

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Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 27))

Abstract

This chapter revisits the notion of an international curriculum, analyzing the various forces that might push countries toward one and reasons why countries should develop their own distinct curricula. We first describe the term curriculum to set the stage for our later discussion. We then discuss, in turn, common influences for curriculum change, common learning goals, common driving forces of public examinations, common emphases and treatments, and common issues for future curriculum development. Although the tendency for countries to include a more-and-more internationally-accepted core selection of topics in their national curricula is to a great extent both to be welcomed and expected, this move has had a potential negative effect on curriculum development. Significant work also remains to be done to explore the way in which new technology (especially digital technology) could affect both the mathematics included in the curriculum and how it could more effectively contribute to the teaching and learning of mathematics in general.

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Acknowledgements

The first author would like to acknowledge the support of grants from the National Science Foundation (ESI-0454739 and DRL-1008536). When the first draft of this chapter was written, the first author was invited to serve as a Program Director at the Division of Research on Learning, the US National Science Foundation. The support of the US National Science Foundation is greatly appreciated, but any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Science Foundation. We are grateful for the assistance of Dr Bikai Nie in preparing the reference list. We are also grateful for the insightful comments provided by Jeremy Kilpatrick, Gilah Leder, and Paola Valero on an earlier version of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    Jinfa Cai

  2. The University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Geoffrey Howson

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Correspondence to Jinfa Cai .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Illinois State University, n/a, Normal, 61790-4520, Illinois, USA

    M.A. (Ken) Clements

  2. Fac. Education, Centre for Science, Mathematics &, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia

    Alan J. Bishop

  3. FB Erziehungswissenschaft und, Psychologie, FU Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, Berlin, 14195, Germany

    Christine Keitel

  4. Dept. Mathematics Education, University of Georgia, Aderhold Hall 105, Athens, 30602-7124, Georgia, USA

    Jeremy Kilpatrick

  5. Fac. Education, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

    Frederick K.S. Leung

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Cai, J., Howson, G. (2012). Toward an International Mathematics Curriculum. In: Clements, M., Bishop, A., Keitel, C., Kilpatrick, J., Leung, F. (eds) Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 27. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4684-2_29

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