This resource guide offers users access to video clip time codes illustrating various aspects of mathematics teaching as well as the level of mathematics students are expected to learn. Accompanying these clips are commentaries contributed by teams of mathematicians, pre-college and post-secondary mathematics educators, and professional developers.
Facilitators can browse the entire list of lessons, featured in Lessons by Country, for specific topics of interest. Here the majority of the resources in the guide are listed together, by lesson, including:
- focus of the lesson
- relevant mathematical topics (cross-referenced with the list of lessons by topic)
- relevant pedagogical topics (cross-referenced with the list of lessons by topic)
- lesson graph (from the TIMSS public release lessons CD)
- detailed description and analysis (created for 14 of the 28 lessons)
To find a list of lessons (and clips) that focus on a particular topic, users can consult the list of Lessons by Topic, which is structured like an index.
The Introduction and Using Video Lessons for Professional Development sections offer theoretical underpinnings for the approaches the editors have taken in this guide. Facilitators will also benefit from Suggestions for Using These Lessons with Teachers. The Abbreviations section offers a review of how this guide refers to individual lessons.
During the TIMSS work session, it became apparent there was a need to develop a common understanding of certain terms. The Terminology section, which grew from conversations among TIMSS work session participants, aims to address the broader issues of language in mathematics education and to create a common basis for understanding.