Author(s) :

Leo Ahtaridis.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This study examines differences in the textbook teaching of basic algebra in three different countries. Primary sources included nationally published curricula and popular algebra textbooks from the United States, United Kingdom, and India. To facilitate comparison, the chapters reviewing equations with parenthetical expressions were selected for analysis. Common to all textbook examples were the age of the intended audience and the introduction of three principles: the distributive property, simplification of algebraic expression by combining like terms, and reduction by the greatest common factor. The curricula differed, however, in the order in which the topics were presented, and this corresponded to differences in the approach to problem sets, namely in the order of operations recommended. Further study is needed to determine if these observed variations in textbook approach become more pronounced in advanced algebraic curricula, and whether this leads to any appreciable inter-country differences in problem-solving methodology or mathematical reasoning between student populations.