Secondary Mathematics Education in the Soviet Union, an Individual Study Project

摘要

The aim of this paper is to acquaint mathematics educators and teachers with the current status and trends in Soviet mathematical education at the secondary level in light of recent claims by several prominent American educators that the superior quality of the Soviet program represents a potentially serious threat to the national security of the United States. Covered are educational philosophy and pedagogy, teacher education, and testing procedures. Special emphasis is devoted to the mathematics curriculum in the Soviet 10-year, General Education School. The investigation identifies certain specific Soviet practices in the areas of curriculum development and teacher education that warrant close study and consideration by U.S. educators. However, the study concludes that the strength of the Soviet educational threat to our national security derives more from the sense of Soviet national dedication and unity of purpose than from any particular unique characteristic of the educational system itself, and that the Soviet challenge can be met successfully by establishing a national resolve to do so.