Pre-service Teacher Training for Secondary School Mathematics in Japan and Korea

Abstract

It is well recognized that there are many similarities between Japan and Korea in terms of school mathematics curriculum policy, students’ high achievement in international assessments such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and negative attitudes toward school mathematics (Wong, Koyama, & Lee, 2013). On the other hand, not much has been written about the guidelines and contents of undergraduate mathematics education curricula in the two education systems, including teaching practicums for pre-service secondary school mathematics teachers. In this chapter, we attempt to fill this gap by identifying similarities and differences in Japanese and Korean approaches to supporting pre-service teachers’ awareness and knowledge development in the department of mathematics education. We will mainly focus on two aspects of pre-service teacher training for secondary school mathematics: (a) prescribed conditions for teaching certificates and (b) undergraduate curricula for training secondary school mathematics teachers in Japan and Korea. To illustrate these aspects we examine Hiroshima University in Japan and Korea National University of Education in Korea, because their pre-service programs are typical models of each country’s mathematics teacher training programs. We will identify similarities and differences between the programs, and discuss some issues to improve the guidelines and contents of undergraduate curriculum in training pre-service teachers for secondary school mathematics. Further comparative study on pre-service mathematics teacher training can be stimulated through more in-depth international analyses of these elements.