Building Algebraic Knowledge and Flexibility: A Comparison of Secondary School Students in the United States and Japan

• In Event: Algebra at the Secondary and Postsecondary Levels

Abstract

Competency in algebra requires developing conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and procedural flexibility. We compared students’ algebraic knowledge, including procedural flexibility, among convenience samples of secondary-school students in Japan and the United States, including U.S. students who had participated in a special program designed to more productively support algebra learning, including procedural flexibility. The Japanese students had substantially higher accuracy on the algebra assessment than either group of U.S. students. Higher accuracy by the U.S. students on 2 conceptual knowledge items revealed some potential strengths among the U.S. students. On the procedural flexibility items, the Japanese students had consistently higher accuracy and were more attuned to how efficient procedures were. Implications for algebra teaching and learning are discussed.

Authors

• Bethany Rittle-Johnson, Vanderbilt University

• Nobuyuki Fujimura, University of Tokyo

• Shinya Goto, University of Tokyo

• Yoshiaki Aoyagi, University of Tokyo

• Jon R. Star, Harvard University

• Kelley Durkin, Vanderbilt University

• Abbey M. Loehr, Washington University in St. Louis