Latin American Teaching
As seen in the article, “What is actually going on inside Latin American math classrooms?” (link at bottom), it is evident that there is a connection between lower socioeconomic countries and a different teaching method. According to the article, there is an emphasis on more traditional teaching methods in the Latin American countries researched. These include, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. After recording math lessons from these countries, analysis portrays that teachers rely on memorization of concepts and procedures in the classroom to get their point across. This form of teaching is seen as an “old school” teaching method that has since evolved into a more interactive learning experience in many classrooms in the United States.
The United States has adapted the form of teaching that relies more on hands-on-learning and interactive classroom dynamics. It is encouraged for students to make mistakes and learn as they go. It is also important for students to receive evaluative feedback along the way, as well as for the teacher to receive feedback from students to constantly grow.
From math test scores, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic are two of the bottom performers. I do not think it has to do entirely with the teaching method. Developing countries do not have the same access to quality teachers as developed countries do. Teachers are not trained with up-to-date pedagogy. This is not their, nor the students’ fault. We should not always blame the teacher for student outcomes. The teachers are not always given the proper resources needed for their students’ success.
In the end, there has been a shift in instruction for teachers in most classrooms. For the classrooms that have not made such changes, it is not always a bad thing. Teachers in the United States may prefer this teaching method more, just as teachers in Latin American schools are utilizing. The difference, however, is that most American teachers have the opportunity and choice to modernize their classroom, while Latin American’s often do not.
