Comparison of 3RD Grade Mathematics Classes in Terms of Mathematics Curriculum and their Implementation in the Classroom Environment: the Case of Turkey and Canada (the Province of Ontario)
Comparison of 3RD Grade Mathematics Classes in Terms of Mathematics Curriculum and their Implementation in the Classroom Environment: the Case of Turkey and Canada (the Province of Ontario)

Summary/Abstract: Canada is one of the countries with the highest scores in mathematics achievement tests according to OECD and PISA reports. In this connection, the current study was planned with the intention of comparing Turkey and Canada in terms of both their mathematics curricula and practices in mathematics classes. In the current study, it was aimed to compare 3rd grade mathematics curricula and mathematics classes in Turkey and Canada (Ontario) in general and to compare them in terms of curriculum and any educational and instructional activity conducted in the classroom environment so that similarities and differences could be determined. The study was structured as a comparative case study. For the Canadian part of the study, the 3rd grade mathematics classes of a private primary school in the Ontario Provincial Region were observed in the classroom for 3 months. Similarly, the 3rd grade mathematics classes of a state school located in a central district of high socio-economic status in the city of Ankara were observed. The data were obtained from in-class observations conducted throughout the whole process, interviews with the teacher, and the teaching materials and curricula used by the teachers and students in the process. The results of the study revealed that mathematical process skills were presented in a little more detail in the Canadian curriculum and that skills such as reflection, choosing the appropriate electronic equipment were associated with problem solving and reasoning. It was observed that the inclusion of different skills in the curriculum caused differentiation in the roles of teachers in the classroom. It was determined that Canadian mathematics classes were student-centred, were dominated by the active learning process and richer cognitive content that supported the development of problem solving and reasoning skills.

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