The Success of Teaching Mathematics in Japan
As one of the most challenging subjects, math needs to be taught in a way that students would be able to understand and even love it. It is a struggle for teachers to get the attention of their students, especially when it concerns lessons that do not interest them.
They must think of teaching methods that will engage them. Furthermore, unfortunately, the traditional approach of teaching may not be as practical these days.
Because of this difficulty in teaching students math, many countries have opted to look for alternative ways of teaching it. American and European countries have found out that Asian countries have a higher level of comprehension when it comes to Mathematics. Japan, in particular, excelled in teaching their students math.
What made the Japanese teaching of math successful?
According to research, during the 1970s-1980s, there was a reform movement that aimed to change teaching and learning of Mathematics in Japan. A critical change that revolutionized the teaching of Mathematics is the shift from the traditional approach, the teacher’s instruction is the focus, to a more active approach, which is more student-centered. The goal was to engage the students to be participative when it comes to learning Mathematics.
What Makes the Japanese Teaching of Math Different?
Many countries have used the methods of the Japanese when teaching Mathematics because they have learned that their way is unsuccessful. The Japanese way of teaching Math has been proven to be better at making students take an interest in the subject. Here are three of the main reasons that make it different from others:
#1 The educational program or the curriculum is strict.
Most educational programs in other countries usually use various topics and continuously repeat them over several grade levels. It means that the level of difficulty of these topics only has a minute increase. In Japan, they follow strict guidelines that are set by the Ministry of Education, which contains only a few topics for each grade level. They focus more on providing an in-depth discussion of these topics rather than learning various things superficially. As Japanese students’ grade levels increase, the lesser topics, they would have. By the time they reach the 8th grade, they are learning more complex topics than students from other countries.
#2 It has more productive teaching practices.
Studies have shown that most teachers in different countries have the same teaching practices. What sets apart Japanese teachers of Math is the way they schedule their activities and lessons. Other countries often do the traditional method, such as reviewing previous lessons, going over homework, and providing quizzes and tests. Japan, on the other hand, has teaching practices that were passed on from experienced teachers to those who are new through apprenticeships. Moreover, Japanese teachers of Math much emphasize problem-solving. Students are encouraged to think of solutions. The teachers then discuss the various solutions, whether they are correct.
#3 It is because of Japanese schools and their academic excellence.
What makes the Japanese way of teaching math brilliant is because of the foundation that was built. Japan is widely known for its highly advanced preschool system. From a young age, Japanese children are taught the behaviors and routines they should have in school. Teachers also encourage delegation of authority. When students reach middle school, the level of instruction gets difficult. They get to take tests that assess their mastery of the topics until they reach high school.
There is no doubt that the Japanese teaching of Math is innovative and effective. Hence, we recommend to parents that they enroll their children in institutions that make use of this method. Izumi Philippines is an example. Izumi, a new learning program in the Philippines, make use of our program Nippon Math to encourage our students to engage in the lessons, and participate in the activities. Izumi has math learning centers in the Philippines — in Taguig, Quezon City, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal. Make your child learn Mathematics the Japanese way!
