Article Critic - Standard Based Lessons

Barootchi, Nasrin, &, Keshavaraz Mohammad,. (2002). Educational Research Journal, Vol 44. No. 30, 279 -288. Assessment of achievement through portfolios and teacher-made tests.


The study, “U.S. and Chinese Teachers’ Constructing, Knowing, and Evaluating Representations to Teach Mathematics” takes a strategic and critical look at academic lesson plans from the Western World and Eastern World. The purpose of this study is to investigate U.S. and Chinese teachers’ conceptions and constructions of representations in mathematics instruction. It was evident that differences would be found in the study not only academically, but also culturally. The study attempts to compare and analyze the difference between U.S. and China’s standard aligned lesson plans, mathematical approaches to problems, and approaches to student understanding. The study compared the fluid and diverse math lesson plans of the U.S. to the detailed and unified math lessons of China. The study examined the differences and similarities between U.S. and Chinese teachers and students. It was evident that differences would be found in the study not only academically, but also culturally. The study attempts to compare and analyze the difference of unified standard aligned lesson plans, mathematical approaches to problems, and approaches to student understanding. The study contributed to the understanding of the cross-national differences between U.S. and Chinese students’ mathematical thinking. The study also contributed to the understanding of the teachers’ beliefs in from a cross-cultural perspective.


I found this study to be very intriguing on a personal level and now as a member of academia. The study was very informative as it looked at the facts of how students in China perform and how students in the U.S. perform. The study opened up my eyes to the cultural differences that students and teachers from the U.S. and China have. One aspect of the study that I think should have been addressed more is the idea of respect. In my opinion, many students in the U.S. have lost the respect for their teachers and their education. It seems to me as a high school teacher, materialistic things are valued higher than education, while in other parts of the world education is everything. I have learned that teacher actions determine student actions. In my opinion, students have more to learn than just national academic standards. There is no perfect way to teach, but results matter. I think American teachers can learn from the Chinese and vice versa.