How Much Math Do Our Math Teachers Know?

I am a scientist interested in science and math education. I am starting this blog to archive what I discover about these topics. My primary concern is the quality of U.S. science and math teachers. Surprisingly little hard data exists on this topic, given its importance in understanding the shortcomings of the U.S. educational system.

There have been several studies that assessed U.S. students' knowledge of science and mathematics compared to students in other countries, but I know of no studies that offer such a direct comparison of teachers' subject matter knowledge. The best we have are studies of curriculum and teaching styles or preparation and training.

At the elementary level a small study was made that showed an enormous difference in knowledge between U.S. and Chinese teachers. More studies of this kind are needed, because if this is indeed the primary factor in impairing U.S. students' understanding of mathematics then no amount of money, curriculum reform, or class size reductions will be of much help.