Cross-national study of lower secondary mathematics teachers' content knowledge in USA and Russia

Abstract

The quantitative study focused on comparative analysis of middle school mathematics teachers' content knowledge in two countries. The sample consisted of lower secondary mathematics teachers from the US (grades 6-9, N=102) and Russia (grades 5-9, N=97). The instrument was designed to assess teacher content knowledge based on the cognitive domains of knowing, applying, and reasoning, as well as addressing the lower secondary mathematics topics of Number, Algebra, Geometry, Data and Chance. The results suggest that there are significant differences in teacher knowledge between the countries in content as well as in cognitive domains. The study results may inform the field on priorities placed on lower secondary mathematics teachers' knowledge in USA and Russia.