Study Overview
Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century (MT21) examines the differences in preparation of middle school mathematics teachers within a group of six nations. Teacher preparation methods in Taiwan, South Korea, Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico, and the United States were explored for this study. The MT21 study follows up on the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which found differences in the content taught by instructors in higher-achieving countries. Previous international studies suggest that the six countries selected for this study cover a range of student achievement in mathematics and science. The purpose of this study was to identify the most effective methods for preparing teachers to teach a more rigorous curriculum to students.
Institutions were selected non-randomly in order to ensure they were representative of the teacher preparation system within the country. All eligible future teachers within each institution were surveyed.