Mathematics Instruction in The Selected Countries in Asia
Mathematics Instruction in The Selected Countries in Asia
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Article in International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation · October 2023
DOI: 10.54660/.IJMRGE.2023.4.5.845-852
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54660/.IJMRGE.2023.4.5.845-852
Keywords: Mathematics Instructions, Policy, Curriculum, Teacher’s training, Teacher qualification, and Innovations
Introduction
A solid math education is not only a success indicator. However, it is crucial for a nation's future and competitiveness in the
global information era (Abrahamson, 2007). Mathematics training helps improve the environment and manipulate change, as
well as student math performance (Alan et al., 1993). Math helps a nation be globally competitive and advance its economy;
hence, it must be learned. According to ACME (2011), 'mathematics is vital for economic growth and technological progress,'
and the nation aspires to compete globally.
The "Programme for International Student Assessment" (PISA) and "Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
(TIMSS)" are international assessments of students' math knowledge that determine which countries are suitable for study. PISA
and TIMSS found that several Asian nations excel in math literacy and performance. Shanghai-China has the highest mean math
score (613), followed by Singapore (573). Malaysia averages 421 points. Japan placed 7th out of 65 nations with a mean score
of 536. The Philippines skipped the survey (PISA, 2012). East Asian students outperform their classmates abroad, and the gap
is rising.
The Philippines placed third and fourth to last in the TIMSS survey. After that, the nation avoided TIMSS in 2007 and 2011 and
PISA in 2012. The research found that high school mathematics performance on the National Achievement Test (NAT) has
declined recently. Singapore scores highest, with a mean of 605. Japan ranks 5th with 570 mean points, while Malaysia ranks
10th with 508. Shanghai-China declined the survey (TIMSS, 2003). In Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, and other SEA countries,
students' low performance is reflected in the previous several PISA scores and the quadrennial TIMSS, which reveals a decade-
long decline in math and scientific achievement (Johari, 2014).
Teachers must use instructional design to improve math success (Rasmussen & Marrongelle, 2006). Certain elements impact a
country's education system; thus, they must be carefully considered. Policy, curriculum, teacher certification, training, and
innovations impact a country's education system. Specific and substantial variances in the characteristics might assist or hurt a
nation. Economic development and prosperity depend on a well-planned education system. Mathematics is essential to our
culture and civilization and adds to a well-rounded education. ACME, 2011a; Vorderman et al., 2011
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Governments and educators should reform schools and curricula to teach pupils problem-solving abilities, which are essential
in today's economy (Andreas Schleicher, 2012).
All cultures' economic, social, and cultural progress depends    selecting five countries in Asia to be subjects of the study.
on education (humanium.org). R.A. No. 10533 mandates 13          Countries were selected through the data from the results of
years of elementary education in the Philippines and protects    PISA 2012 mathematics literacy and TIMSS 2003
and promotes the rights of all people to excellent education     mathematics achievement: three top-performing countries
at all levels. The Compulsion Education Act requires all         were selected, namely, China, Singapore, and Japan; and two
Singaporean children to attend Primary School. The People's      countries that have had alarming performance over the years
Republic of China's Compulsory Education Law requires            were also selected, namely, Malaysia and Philippines.
nine school years. The schooling Amendment 2002 in
Malaysia mandates six years of compulsory schooling, but         Results and Discussion
Article 5 of Chapter 2 in the Fundamental Law of Education       A. Status of Mathematics Instruction in Selected
in Japan demands up to nine years.                               Countries
According to unesco.org, the curriculum is a structured          1. Singapore
collection of values-based information, skills, and attitudes    Singapore introduced compulsory education in 2003.
that students should study in formal and non-formal contexts.    Primary 6 is the minimal schooling requirement for
It helps pupils achieve learning goals. The education system     Singaporean youngsters. Special needs children will be
of a nation may determine whether the curriculum is              excused from compulsory schooling (moe.gov.sg). The
successful. Without qualified instructors, education for         administration said all youngsters should learn how to
everyone is impossible (campaignforeducation.org). Students      succeed in a knowledge-based economy. As of January 2015,
learn new things from trained instructors. They can adapt to     366 Singaporean schools are modernized. Its schools are
school trends, especially math instruction. According to         among the world’s top. Teachers from across the globe visit
research, advanced degree instructors in math and science        Singapore to learn how it excels in math, science, and
improve high school math and science success. Empirical          reading. Singapore educators say an explicit curriculum
research reveals that teacher qualification affects efficacy     offered by high-quality instructors in every school is the
(Quinco et al., 2022) [37]. All students in the chosen Asian     solution (Vivien Stewart, 2015). Any school can provide
nations perform differently in arithmetic teaching, notably in   Singapore-quality education with a regular curriculum and
Shanghai-China, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and the              skilled instructors.
Philippines. Every country's legislation, curriculum,            English, Mother Tongue, and Mathematics are the main goals
innovations, teacher qualification, and teacher training         of elementary education (moe.gov.sg). Primary education in
impact math teaching and performance.                            Singapore emphasizes English and math. Singapore Math
For their potential to address social and economic issues,       employs Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract. The lessons are simple
innovations must be adequately understood. Innovation skills     and easy to understand, one concept at a time, and start with
need an innovation-friendly atmosphere and modification of       the concrete and pictorial stages, then the abstract stage, to
many current innovation methods (Hobcraft, 2012). Being          help     students     learn     mathematics     meaningfully
adaptable to innovations may lead to discovering new             (homeschoolmath.net). All teachers receive Singapore
national treasures. This research seeks to identify key facts    curriculum training at the National Institute of Education at
and tactics top nations utilize to adjust policies and practices Nanyang Technological University, either in a diploma or
to enhance mathematics education worldwide.                      degree course, depending on their level of education at entry
                                                                 (asiasociety.org). The Ministry of Education carefully selects
Research Methodology                                             prospective teachers from the top one-third of secondary
This study makes use of documentary analysis in reviewing        school graduates.
and investigating the factual data from the policies on          Singapore selects teachers from the top third of high school
mathematics instruction from the Ministry of Education and       graduates (ncee.org). Singaporean government elementary
national reports that are relevant and useful for this study in  and secondary school teachers (including Junior Colleges)
terms of the following factors, namely, policy, curriculum,      must have a Dip. Ed or PGDE. Only Nanyang Technological
teacher’s Training, teacher qualification, and innovation that   University’s National Institute of Education (NIE) offers both
will determine the mathematics instruction in the selected       degrees. Singaporean teachers must have a degree (Dip. Ed
countries in Asia.                                               or PGDE), a Polytechnic Diploma, an ‘A’ level/IP/IB, and an
Policy is the term used for the program of actions, the rules    ‘O’ level. Other competent instructors include mid-career
and regulations adopted by each country in national and          professionals, relief teachers, and adjunct teachers
international matters, expressly their educational system,       (moe.gov.sg).
educational structure, and set compulsory education.             Singapore, a nation without natural resources but with one of
Curriculum is a term applied universally for the standardized    the best standards of life, was transformed from a struggling
type of educational system. It refers to the course offerings,   port in the Straits of Malacca by the ruling government's
mathematics curriculum, and instruction and how it is            pragmatic social and economic policies. As Singapore enters
delivered. Teacher’s Training is the term used for the           the 21st century, youth must be ready for tomorrow’s
Training the teachers undergo, such as induction and in-         problems. The official strategy is ‘Thinking Schools,
service Training (Cadosales et al., 2020) [5]. A teaching        Learning Nation.’ The 7th International Conference on
qualification is a term that is one of several academic and      Thinking opened with this national policy from then-Prime
professional degrees that enable a person to become a            Minister Goh Chok Tong. Singapore has used TSLN since
registered teacher. Innovation is the term for new ideas,        1997 to be competitive in the global economy for the future
improvements, and educational reforms.                           generation. In 2003, the MOE launched the Teacher Work
The study utilizes the purposive sampling technique in           Attachment Programme to motivate and expose teachers to
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outside experiences. The attachment exposes participants to            universities, public to private, and academic to vocational
different commercial work contexts, forcing them out of their          education, the rules encompass practically every area of
“comfort zones” (thinkingschoolsinternational.com). The                education (kpmg.de).
2006 “Teach Less, Learn More” (TLLM) movement helps
teachers and schools concentrate on effective teaching so kids         3. Malaysia
are engaged, learn with comprehension, and are developed               Malaysian formal schooling is 6-3-2-2. Children enter
holistically beyond test and exam preparation.                         primary school at six and complete six grades. Grades 7-13
                                                                       are divided into three years of lower secondary, two years of
2. Shanghai-China                                                      upper secondary, and two years of higher secondary
The Chinese education system includes six years of                     (epdc.org). The school curriculum promotes mental,
elementary, three of lower secondary, and three of higher              emotional, physical, and spiritual growth by teaching broad
secondary. Children must attend nine years of elementary and           information, skills, healthy attitudes, and moral values. We
lower secondary education before quitting or joining an upper          want balanced, trained, skilled Malaysians who value
secondary program at 15 (ncee.org). China has 12 years of              national unity (ibe.unesco.org). Continuous curriculum
basic education, six primaries and six secondary. Parents              reform strives to increase education quality to realize the
must enroll their children for up to 9 years of school. All            National Education Philosophy. NEP aims to achieve the
Chinese students must study a baseline Math, Chinese,                  nation's objective of preparing children to be informed,
English, Science, and Humanities curriculum. Math is                   prepared, and skillful for the millennium's demands. The
required till 18 (et-foundation.co.uk). Even at the secondary          national curriculum fosters unity by using a single language
level, Chinese students are well-trained in arithmetic                 (the national language) and providing the same fundamental
problem-solving. The English curriculum is comparable but              topics to all students in the National Education System.
more challenging and complicated (et-foundation.co.uk).                National Type Schools, which may teach in other main ethnic
Chinese teacher education includes pre-service and in-service          languages,      preserve      Malaysia's      ethnic    variety
training. Shanghai has four-year teacher training, and                 (ibe.unesco.org).
secondary teacher training institutes predominantly educate            The government prioritized the Multimedia Super Corridor
pre-service     teachers,    including     math     instructors        technological infrastructure initiative. There were 32 MSC-
(chineseembassy.org). Primary school teachers in Shanghai              approved enterprises in 1999, 33% of which were software
have somewhat adjusted training. Postsecondary sub-degree              and 29% multimedia. For years, MSC firms increased
degrees are required for elementary school instructors. The            manufacturing production by 20%. MSC was criticized for
three- to four-year programs provide a high school diploma             helping high-class manufacturers and businesses while
and a certificate. Practical training is required for teachers         excluding middle, lower, and rural masses from prosperity.
(ncee.org).                                                            New policies would fix the issue. Computers in all
The Chinese Ministry of Education began to approve using               classrooms, 167 schools and four new universities, and $316
multiple texts and resources (ncee.org). Schools can use               million for training institutes were part of the 2001 budget to
ministry-provided materials or identify other teaching                 promote computer literacy. Malaysia may follow Singapore
materials they want to use, but these still need ministry              in reducing the digital divide if the trend continues.
approvals before classroom implementation. Primary school              Malaysia is implementing pre-service and induction training
teachers must have postsecondary, sub-degree credentials.              for teachers, including short-term courses, seminars, and
However, they may enroll in a teacher education institution            conferences to improve teaching skills and personal and
after junior secondary. Secondary school teachers need a               professional growth. Lower and upper-secondary teachers in
bachelor’s degree and a professional certificate, and many             Malaysia have the exact academic requirements. All
have master’s degrees. Secondary school teachers must                  secondary teachers need a bachelor's degree or post-graduate
complete upper secondary school before entering teacher                certificate in education/teaching (unesco.org). In March
education programs. They take identical curricula and get              2014, students, instructors, and administrators used virtual
practical training like elementary school instructors. Lower           desktop infrastructure to access computers, programs, and
secondary school candidates may complete the curriculum in             data. Even in rural and inland locations with low connection
two to three years, whereas upper secondary school                     and energy, students and instructors get high-performance
candidates need four years (ncee.org).                                 computing and instructional materials across devices with no
Shanghai-China reform has two phases and aims to replace               IT setup or classroom modifications (teradici.com).
exam-focused schooling with quality education (Ding, 2010).
The first wave (1988–1998) established a three-block                   4. Japan
curriculum: obligatory, optional, and extracurricular topics to        Citizens receive education according to their talents and
improve student quality by combining social demands,                   capabilities without discrimination based on race, creed, sex,
student growth, and a school’s disciplinary system. The                social class, economic condition, or familial origin
second wave suggests a fundamental, enriched, and inquiry-             (mext.go.jp). All Japanese have the right to education without
based curriculum to replace the problematic, obscure, and              restrictions. The local government provides financial aid to
less creative conventional curriculum (Wen, 2007). Schools             economically disadvantaged students (Elivera et al., 2022;
should adjust the government’s curricular framework to                 Payusan et al., 2022). Citizens must provide their children
accommodate students’ requirements. However, instructors               with a general education, and local government schools must
should remember to “return class time to students” and that            not charge tuition (mext.go.jp). Japan has a 6-year primary
“to every question, there should be more than a single                 education, 3-year junior secondary education, and 3-year
answer” (ries.revues.org). China’s ministry of Education               senior secondary education, with more math courses than
announced 10-year education reform and development                     minor topics (Pogoy & Hortado, 2014). Japan requires
guidelines on July 29, 2010. From kindergarten to                      supervised fieldwork and a 4- to 8-week practicum following
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teaching certification (Pogoy et al., 2014). In-service training       numbers, basic operations, fractions, decimals, money,
includes initial teacher induction (Pogoy, 2014).                      angles, plane figures, measurement, and graphing. However,
Japanese math professors provided homework three to five               the K-12 Curriculum requires more advanced learning
times a week: 21%; German, 75%; US, 86%                                beyond Grade 3 than the BEC Curriculum. Using appropriate
(factsanddetails.com). Japanese teachers reduce student                technology, the learner applies numbers, number sense,
tasks. Learning resources use lovely female figures in short           measurement, geometry, patterns, algebra, statistics, and
skirts and French maid attire to encourage arithmetic                  probability to critical thinking, problem-solving, reasoning,
(factsanddetails.com). Under the new curriculum, math hours            communicating, making connections, representations, and
rose from 315 to 385. Since 2002, all students, even high              real-life decisions. The higher levels' learning experiences
performers and “slow learners,” receive the same curriculum            and desired learning objectives are improving from the
in the same classes (factsanddetails.com). Associate degrees           previous curriculum (deped.gov.ph; Cabanilla & Pogoy,
are valid for three years in the granting prefecture and may           2023).
be renewed like regular certificates. Bachelor’s degrees are           Learning materials and resources must be adequate and
valid for ten years in the issuing prefecture and may be               accessible to achieve this goal (Cabanilla, 2023). Every
renewed by continuing university courses. All prefectures              public       school       in      the       Philippines     uses
allow master’s degree renewal by renewing a university                 blackboards/whiteboards and chalk/markers. Some schools
course within ten years. A bachelor’s degree in mathematics            feature overhead projectors for professors and students. Some
is required to teach secondary math. Japan prioritizes                 schools have computer labs. Not all schools in the nation have
mathematics teacher education innovations less. Saturday               suitable technology for teaching and learning. This research
practical math exercises are a Japanese education innovation.          should focus on Philippine teacher training and
Mathematics teaching hours have grown since 2002.                      qualifications. Kindergarteners may enroll in Elementary
                                                                       without attending Kindergarten. Kindergarten used to have
5. Philippines                                                         LGU-funded volunteer instructors. Under the K-12 Program,
The Philippines is the only Asian nation and one of three in           Kindergarten is required and accessible in all public schools
the world (with Angola and Djibouti) with a 10-year pre-               countrywide, according to Education Secretary Armin
university cycle (deped.gov). Though other Asian nations               Luistro (philstar.com). The Department of Education
altered schooling, the Philippines stayed the same. This kept          (DepEd) has also issued a new memorandum on kindergarten
the Philippines crawling while other nations advanced. The             teacher qualifications, known as Memorandum No. 80 series
Philippines did not participate in the next PISA Mathematics           of 2014, which states that KTVs must be qualified to prepare
Literacy until 2003 since it placed lowest in Asia. The Senate         for the K-12 Program. Elementary requirements remain
of the Philippines passed Senate Bill 3286, the Enhanced               unchanged. Junior and Senior High Schools exist. Junior
Basic Education Act, on September 24, 2012. The Philippine             High School requirements remain unchanged. The
House of Representatives adopted House Bill No. 6643 on                Department of Education (DepEd) invites interested teachers,
November 19, 2012. On May 15, 2013, Philippine President               professionals, practitioners, and experts to apply for full-time
Benigno Aquino III signed the Republic Act of the                      and part-time teaching posts for Grades 11 and 12 for the
Philippines 10533, which enhances the Philippine Basic                 2016-2017 school year. The four Senior High School (SHS)
Education System by strengthening its curriculum and                   courses need applicants who want to teach core curriculum
increasing the years for Basic Education, appropriating funds,         and applied and specialized topics. Applicants must be
and other purposes. The Enhanced Education Program (K-                 Filipino citizens and competent teachers in the academic,
12) was created under this statute. This curriculum includes           technical-vocational-livelihood, arts and designs, and sports
at least one year of Kindergarten, six years of elementary, and        tracks (deped.gov.ph).
six years of secondary school. Four years of junior high and           The Ateneo system (Manila, Davao, Zamboanga, Xavier
two years of senior high school comprise secondary                     University of Cagayan de Oro City), De la Salle University
education (gov. ph).                                                   (DLSU), Centro Escolar University (CEU), Silliman
For the K-12 Program to be successful, preparations began in           University (SU) of Dumaguete City, St. Paul University, and
2011 with Universal Kindergarten implementation, followed              University of San Carlos (USC) of Cebu City offer pre-
by Enhanced Curriculum for Grades 1-7, K-12 enactment,                 service and in-service teacher training. These commercial
Curriculum for Grades 11-12, and Senior High School (SHS)              institutions get government funding from CHED, DECS, and
implementation in SY 2016-2017. By 2016, the Enhanced                  DOST for teacher in-service training (unpan1.un.org). A
Education Program would be fully implemented. The                      teacher's professional license requires a bachelor's degree in
Content Standards, Performance Standards, and Learning                 mathematics education or a related primary and professional
Competency of all disciplines from the BEC Curriculum to               education certificate. It is valid until retirement and must be
this K-12 Curriculum, notably math, were changed. After                renewed every three years (Pogoy et al., 2014).
Grade 3, BEC Curriculum students can handle whole
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 Table 1: Mathematics Instruction in terms of Policy, Curriculum, Teachers’ Training, Teacher’s Qualifications, and Innovation in Selected
                                                             Countries in Asia.
                                                                                             Teacher
       Country            Policy            Curriculum         Teacher's Training                                Innovations
                                                                                        Qualifications
                      Educational                          Pre-service Training: Bachelor's Degree: Thinking Schools, Learning
     Singapore                       Kungfu Mathematics
                     Structure: 6-5                              22 weeks         BSc(Ed) Mathematics          Nation' (TSLN)
                      Compulsory                                                           Mid-career
                  Education: 6 years Concrete-Pictorial- Induction Training: professionals, Relief Teacher Work Attachment
                        (Primary      Abstract Approach        REQUIRED            teachers and Adjunct          Programme
                    Education) -CE                                                teachers also qualified
                    Act (Cap 51) of                                               A' level/IP/IB holders Teach Less, Learn More'
                                     One concept at a time
                          2003                                                      and 'O' level holders          (TLLM)
                                                                                        Primary school
                      Educational      Shanghai Mastery Pre-service Training:            teachers: post-       Shanghai-China
   Shanghai-China
                    Structure: 6-3-3       Approach              12 weeks         secondary, sub-degree      Educational Reform
                                                                                              holder
                      Compulsory                                                      Secondary school
                  Education: 9 years                                                teachers: Bachelor's
                                                            Induction Training:
                  - PRC Presidential                                                  Degree holder or
                                                              VOLUNTARY
                    Order No. 52 of                                                   (mostly) Master's
                          2006                                                           Degree holder
                      Educational                          Pre-service Training: Advanced Level:           Saturday practical Math
       Japan                          Japan Mathematics
                    Structure: 6-3-3                            4-8 weeks              Master's Degree             activities
                                                                                         Special Level:
                                       Problem Solving      Induction Training:      Bachelor's Degree    Number of teaching hours
                      Compulsory
                                           Approach            REQUIRED                 (non-education        in math increased
                  Education: 9 years
                                                                                            programs)
                   - BAE Chapter 2
                                       Higher percent of                             Temporary Level:
                     (Act No. 120)
                                      Math subjects than                               Associate (non-
                                        minor subjects                             education programs)
                                                                                   Bachelor's Degree in
                                                                                      Education (B. Ed
                      Educational    KBSM Mathematics Pre-service Training:                                    Virtual desktop
      Malaysia                                                                   Mathematics) or a Post-
                  Structure: 6-3-2-2      Framework              12 weeks                                       infrastructure
                                                                                    graduate diploma in
                                                                                     education/teaching
                      Compulsory                                                 Public School Teachers: Educational resources
                      Education: 6 Technology Education Induction Training: No licensing system; delivered to schools even in
                   years- Education (high-tech education)      REQUIRED           ONLY appointment of areas with limited access to
                      Act of 2002                                                   permanent teachers connectivity and electricity
                                                                                        Private School
                                                                                                              High-performance
                                                                                       Teachers: obtain
                                                                                                                  computing
                                                                                       teaching license
                                                                                   Bachelor's Degree in
                                                                                                          Adapt the new curriculum,
                                                                                 Math Education holder
                      Educational                          Pre-service Training:                              the K-12 Program
     Philippines                       Spiral Curriculum                              and/or Bachelor's
                  Structure: 1-6-4-2                             18 weeks                                   (Enhanced Education
                                                                                     Degree in Math or
                                                                                                                   Program)
                                                                                          related major
                      Compulsory
                     Education: 13                          Induction Training:       with Professional
                      years - R.A.                            VOLUNTARY Education Certification
                         10533
B. Discussion on the Selected Variables of Mathematics                  schools in Japan are free, and the government helps
Instruction                                                             financially struggling students. Field study is required from
1. Policy                                                               4-8 years, in-service training for starting teachers is provided,
Education is the finest legacy a nation can leave its                   and their official education structure is 6-3-3, six years in
inhabitants since it helps society's progress. Hence, educated          primary, three years in junior secondary, and three years in
people must hold important positions to benefit society                 senior secondary. The K-12 program in the Philippines has
(articlesng.com). All chosen Asian nations established                  been improved by a new law that changes the formal
policies that benefit people and the country. All nations have          education structure to 1-6-4-2, one year in kindergarten, six
obligatory education regulations with age and complexity                years elementary, six years secondary (4 years junior
constraints. Since 2003, Singapore has had a 6-year minimum             secondary and two years senior secondary). Primary
obligatory education, and 366 schools have been modernized.             education is mandatory in the Philippines. The expanded
Shanghai-China had a 9-year compulsory education and a 12-              education program would cover all primary education by
year primary education. Students may quit or continue school            2016.
after 15. Malaysia has a 6-3-2-2 formal education system: 6
years in primary, three years in lower secondary, two years in          2. Curriculum
upper secondary, and two years in higher secondary. Public              The curriculum includes all teacher-led activities (Caswell &
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Campbell, 1935). It is also a master plan for choosing                 institution. Teachers not only need to excel in their subject
material and structuring learning experiences to change and            area, but they also need to learn how to manage difficult
grow learners' behaviors and insights (David et al., 1989). As         pupils and sensitive issues. Teachers must be knowledgeable
seen, the Asian nations studied have diverse math curriculum           and competent to ensure children are safeguarded, have
delivery techniques. China and Singapore stressed a                    someone they can trust and interact with, and fulfill their
classroom maths education style among the five nations. The            potential. (2015) Jenalyn D. Padre
Shanghai Mastery Approach is used in China. However,
Singapore uses the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract Approach                4. Teacher Qualification
(Visualization et al.) for Kungfu Mathematics Pictorial                An excellent teacher is the most significant component in
Understanding. Japan emphasizes Problem Solving,                       learning, and when they are in the classroom, scores climb,
Structured Problem Solving, and other Solving Approaches.              and the beneficial impact may be spectacular, particularly for
However, instructors may use alternative methods to teach              poor and minority students (centerforpubliceducation.org). A
arithmetic. Malaysia and the Philippines have math courses,            bachelor's degree is required to teach in certain Asian nations.
but teachers decide how to teach. Malaysia uses KBSM math.             In Malaysia, publicly qualified teachers are appointed by
However, the Philippines still adopts its Enhanced Basic               passing the ESC selection exam and interview without a
Curriculum Program, notably its Mathematics Spiral                     license. Singapore's Ministry of Education carefully chooses
Curriculum. Asian nations teach math according to their                teaching candidates from the top one-third of secondary
respective curriculum. Curricula are integrated to introduce           school graduates. All states need licensing and certification
similar themes for a given year level and improve teaching             for full teaching positions (centerforpubliceducation.org). As
methods. Math instructors may learn more than just how                 in Malaysia, several states enable districts to recruit
nations score on the international league table. The content,          uncertified teachers in an emergency if they cannot meet
breadth, ideas given, and degree of study youngsters                   staffing shortages. Some nations, including Shanghai, Japan,
participate in vary greatly (Buchanan, 2011). No matter what           and the Philippines, need a teaching credential. Qualification
the national curriculum recommends, the teacher must                   in Singapore and Malaysia requires specific diplomas.
creatively educate his/her pupils.                                     The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has
                                                                       devised rigorous tests of teachers' knowledge and skills and
3. Teacher’s Training                                                  recognized those with high abilities via licensing exams
Student performance is most affected by instructor quality.            (centerforpubliceducation.org). Singapore does not need
Good instructors are among the most significant factors in             licensing exams for teachers. In Shanghai, China, elementary
student performance (Kane et al., 2007). One needs training            and secondary school students get identical curriculum and
to become a great teacher. Teacher training prepares teachers          practical instruction for 2-4 years instead of board
for careers (Principal, Teacher's College, 2009). Teacher              examinations. You must pass the license test to become a
education prepares students for teaching as a vocation. Bob            private school teacher in Malaysia. However, you do not need
Kizlik. Selected nations offer training programs to enhance            to take it if you are selected to teach public school. Licenses
math education. All chosen nations define pre-service and              to teach in Japan expire after 3–10 years. However, they may
induction training methods. In Singapore, all teachers are             be renewed at a university. After graduating and getting a
trained at the National Institute of Education (NIE), which            diploma, one must pass the license test for teachers in the
offers initial teacher preparation, graduate and in-service            Philippines to teach in public schools. Private schools do not
programs, and courses for serving teachers, department                 always need board-passing instructors. Since Singapore is the
heads, vice principals, and principals. However, NIE                   top education performer, passing the licensing test is not
programs focus on pedagogy and connections between                     enough to become a certified teacher who can improve a
educational subjects rather than advanced academic training            country in math or any topic. It indicates that competent
within a specific subject, so one cannot become a teacher in           teacher selection is more critical in top-performing nations
Singapore without high-level subject mastery (ncee.org).               than passing the license test that other countries need.
Malaysian pre-service and induction training includes short-
term courses, seminars, and conferences for teachers to                5. Innovations
improve their skills and personal growth. Teacher education            Most respondents believe education should focus on teaching
pre-service programs in the Philippines, Shanghai, and Japan           pupils fundamental arithmetic ideas and processes. All
incorporate mathematics teaching. The MEXT provides                    students, even those with impairments and at risk of school
central seminars for head teachers and administrators in               failure, must learn how to “figure out” their arithmetic
Japan.                                                                 difficulties at home and in the workplace. Singapore is first
                                                                       in line with its TLLM strategy, which helps teachers and
Student teachers get pre-service teacher education before              schools focus on the fundamentals of effective teaching so
teaching. Pre-service training durations vary per nation               students are engaged, learn with understanding, and are
(Cadosales et al., 2021) [4]. Shanghai pre-service training lasts      developed holistically beyond test and exam preparation.
12 weeks. Pre-service training spans 22 weeks in Singapore,            However, China incorporates social demands, student
4-8 weeks in Japan, 12 weeks in Malaysia, and 18 weeks in              growth, and a school's disciplinary system to promote student
the Philippines. New teachers get induction training to                quality with a three-block curriculum: obligatory, optional,
prepare for their jobs. Training might be systematic or not.           and extracurricular. The second wave suggests a
Voluntary induction training in Shanghai, China. New                   fundamental, enriched, and inquiry-based curriculum to
Singaporean teachers must undergo induction training. Japan            replace the problematic, obscure, and less creative
requires induction training. Teachers in Malaysia must                 conventional curriculum (Wen, 2007). Malaysian students,
undergo induction training. Philippines induction training is          professors, and administrators used virtual desktop
optional. Quality teacher development is significant for an            infrastructure to access computers, programs, and data. Even
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in rural and inland locations with low connection and energy,          11. Department of Education. K to 12 General Informatio.
students and instructors get high-performance computing and                http://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12/faq. Date of Access:
instructional materials across devices with no IT setup or                 December 2015.
classroom modifications (teradici.com). Japan emphasizes               12. Dillion S. Education: In PISA (Program for International
mathematics teacher education innovations less. Saturday                   Student Assessment) Test,        Top Test Scores from
practical math exercises are a Japanese education innovation.              Shanghai Stun Educators. New York Times, 2010.
                                                                           http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/education/07educ
Conclusion                                                                 ation.html?_r=0. Date of Access: December 2015
The Mathematics instruction of the selected countries in Asia          13. Elivera MJS, Barriga C, Basalo DML, Contridas JM,
differs in their commitment to putting Math at the forefront               Endrina GL, Cabanilla A, Cortes VM. Effects of
of efforts or making it one of the core subjects to be taught in           Pandemic on Special Education Teachers Teaching
school. The selected countries offered national curricula and              Hearing Impaired (HI) Students. International Journal of
utilized various strategies to carry out Mathematics                       Humanities and Education Development (IJHED). 2022;
Instruction. Results showed significant similarities and                   4(3):196-204.
differences in the mathematics instructions selected in Asia.          14. Hightower A, et al. Improving Student Learning by
However, among the five selected countries, Singapore had                  Supporting Quality Teaching: Key Issues, Effective
shown excellence in policy, curriculum, teacher training,                  Strategies. Washington DC: Editorial Projects in
teacher qualification, and innovations in achieving quality                Education, Inc., 2011.
math education. Hence, adapting relevant policies and                  15. Ibrahima ZB, Othmanb KI. Comparative Study of
practices may improve mathematics instruction across                       Secondary Mathematics Curriculum between Malaysia
countries.                                                                 and Singapore.         International    Conference on
                                                                           Mathematics Education Research, 2010.
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