In the analyses completed thus far, a number of cross-cultural differences have emerged. These findings can be grouped into five categories, each of which will be explored in some detail:

1. The Way Lessons are Structured and Delivered - German and American teachers stress problem solving as the goal of instruction; Japanese teachers stress understanding. This leads to differences in lesson scripts across cultures.
2. The Kind of Mathematics that is Taught - Both in the level and in the richness of content, Japanese and German classrooms appear more advanced than US classrooms.
3. The Kind of Thinking Students Engage in During the Lessons - Japanese students appear to engage in different kinds of mathematical thinking during the lesson than German or US students.
4. The Way Teachers View Reform - The majority of American teachers report that they are implementing current reform recommendations in their classrooms. However, in at least some respects, Japanese lessons were more consistent with the spirit of American reform recommendations than were American lessons.
5. Achievement in the Three Countries - Click here for information about achievement levels of students in the three countries included in the video study. (Data are from the TIMSS main study.)