A Comparison of Korean and American Secondary School Textbooks: The Case of Quadratic Equations

• In Event: Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: What Do We Know About Mathematics Curriculum? Comparative Studies

Abstract

This article compares sections on quadratic equations from two Korean textbooks and CPMP. CPMP uses problems require the processes of reasoning and thinking as students solve problems, as recommended in the standards documents of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 1989, 2000). On the other hand, Korean textbooks use algorithms and include more problems requiring algebraic manipulation. Our analysis shows that some topics related to complex numbers, the sum and the product of the roots, and discriminant, are introduced relatively earlier in Korean textbooks than in CPMP.
In the item analysis, the major difference between Korean and CPMP textbooks is the inclusion of items requiring explanations and most problems in CPMP require thinking and reasoning in solving problems.

Authors

• Dae S. Hong, University of Iowa

• Kyong Mi Choi, University of Iowa