Not sure how to multiply fractions or what photosynthesis is?

Just ask a kid from

Singapore. In the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, part of which
was released last week, eighth graders from the tiny nation outperformed their
peers in both subjects. Indeed, Asian countries dominated the top rankings, sending
cheers through their orderly hallways- and grumbles of envy through America and
much of Europe, whose scores fell around the middle.
In the most comprehensive study ever done, some 500.000 students from 41
countries took exams sponsored by an independent cooperative of research
centers. Even rivals Japan and Korea- which generally refuse to participate in any
study the other has entered- laid down their gauntlets. And unlike previous studies,
which have been criticized for comparing scores in a vacuum, this study provides
context by looking at teaching styles, study habits and curricula as well.
So that do the top- performing nations have in common? For one thing, they all
have rigorous national standards- unlike the United States, where eighth graders
were found to be studying the basic Asian seventh- grade curriculum. And all the
top-ranking countries prize academic achievement and encourage parental
involvement. But there were also a few surprises. Some high- performing countries
have classes of 40 pupils and a tradition of very little homework, while lowerachievers like the United States have smaller classes and reams of homework.
Singapore- which scored average in similar tests in the 1980s- attributes its latest
success to the practice of tracking students by ability. Ironically, some American
educators blamed their mediocre showing on the same practice. And the study
found that TV is not the mind musher some educators believe; the third- ranking
Japanese kids watch as much as American kids, 2.7 hours a day.
Student performance strongly reflected national polical, social and economic
trends. Singapores tightly monitored educational system mirrors an authoritarian
government that disdains gum- chewing and favors corporal surprisingly mediocre
scores can be attributed to its dizzying social upheaval. Besides reunification,
theyve experienced a lot of immigration after the breakup of Eastern Europe and
the Balkans, says Eugene Owen of the U.S. Department of Education. I think they
have a more diverse population today than theyve had in the past, and that adds
challenges to their teaching.
Ideed, good teachers seem to be the key to good scores. The study found that
even though American teachers spend more time covering more material, they tend
to emphasize rote memorization while Singaporean and Japanese teachers
encourage thoughtful problem-solving. While viewing a videotape of a Japanese
teacher, says Linda Rosen, executive director of the U.S. National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics, I was almost moved to tears by one of the most
elegantly taught lessons Ive ever seen. Let that be a lesson to us all.