World Class Maths: Asian Teaching Methods
Learn the key principles of Asian maths education, why they’re so effective, and how to apply them to your own practice.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
World Class Maths: Asian Teaching Methods
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
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Develop your understanding of Asian teaching methods
Every four years, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) compares different countries’ approaches to teaching. Typically, many East Asian countries score very well in these assessments.
On this four-week course from Macmillan Education and the University of Southampton, you’ll be introduced to Asian maths teaching methods for primary education, delve into the key features of Asian education, and discover what makes their methods so successful.
Explore teaching principles from Singapore and Shanghai and apply these to your own practice
Singapore performs very well in maths when compared to international standards. Part of this is due to their unique methods of teaching mathematical skills and concepts.
You’ll look at two of the most effective teaching principles from Singapore: the Concrete Pictorial Abstract approach and the Bar Model method. Then, you’ll discuss how you can apply these principles to your own teaching practice.
Discover Variation theory and other Asian teaching methods
Aside from Singapore, there are many other Asian countries that perform well in international comparisons thanks to their unique teaching principles.
This course will guide you through two more effective principles used in Asian teaching: Two Basics and Variation theory, both from mainland China.
Build systems to improve the professional development of teachers
High-performing countries typically have well-organised support structures and facilities, allowing teachers to successfully utilise their key teaching principles.
During the final week of this course, you’ll explore how these countries build their education systems around the professional development of teachers, and how you can best utilise the methods used in Asian maths education for your own teaching.
What topics will you cover?
- Exploring the international success of Asian education systems in primary mathematics teaching
- The key features of Asian maths pedagogies
- Understanding established principles from Singapore teaching methods, including Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract and the Model Method
- Understanding established principles from Shanghai: Two Basics and Teaching with Variation
- The role of professional development in Asian primary maths education
Who is this accredited by?
The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explore the performance of your national maths education compared with those from Asian countries
- Summarise the key features of Asian maths teaching methods
- Evaluate several prominent teaching methods from Asian education systems
- Reflect on the role of professional development in maths teaching
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for primary school teachers, school administrators, and education policymakers. It may also be of interest to parents with children at primary school.
Who will you learn with?
Lianghuo Fan is Distinguished Professor and Director of Asian Centre for Maths Educ. at East China Normal University, Shanghai. Prior to this he was Professor in Education at Southampton Educ. School.
I am a Professor in Mathematics Education within Southampton Education School. I specialise in international comparative research and the use of technology.
John Schulz is the Director of the SEds Video & Digital Media Studio and a Principal Teaching Fellow within Southampton Education School. John teaches on a wide variety of MSc and Doctoral programmes.
Marcus Grace is Professor of Science Education at the University of Southampton, UK. He has considerable experience in STEM education and training around the world.
Who developed the course?
Macmillan Education
Macmillan Education is part of the Springer Nature group that includes nature, Scientific American and Springer, prestigious brands that have published ground-breaking research for over 150 years.
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