Explanations of Mathematical Concepts in Japanese, Chinese, and U.S. First-and Fifth-Grade Classrooms

Abstract

In this research, I examine some of the classroom processes that may be responsible for the stellar mathematical performance among Asian children compared to U.S. children. The study documents differences in the frequency and type of mathematical explanations during lessons observed in 80 U.S., 40 Chinese, and 40 Japanese 1st- and 5th-grade classrooms. Explanations occurred more frequently in the Japanese and Chinese classrooms than in U.S. classrooms. Furthermore, typical explanations in the Asian classrooms were more substantive than those in the U.S. lessons, and Japanese children were learning about more complex topics than their peers in Taiwan or the United States.