Resource Development Component (1983-2008)

Izaak Wirszup, Director¹

The UCSMP Resource Development Component translated school mathematics publications from around the world in the 1980s. The work done by the resource component offered a first-hand look at expectations, approaches, and methodologies differing from those in the United States.

In addition to translating foreign publications, the resource component monitored international literature on mathematics education, and organized and conducted international conferences. What UCSMP learned of mathematics education and achievement standards in other countries challenged Americans to expect more of our own students and served as a valuable resource in the development of UCSMP materials.

Translation and Publication of Foreign Mathematics Education Materials

The library of the NSF Survey of Recent East European Mathematical Literature (1958-83) was available to the Project at its outset. UCSMP has published its translations of Japanese textbooks for grades 7-9 and Russian textbooks for grades 1-3 in hardcover. The American Mathematical Society has published the UCSMP translations of Japanese textbooks for grades 10-11.

These publications are among more than 40 mathematics textbooks, including an entire mathematics curriculum of the former Soviet Union, translated by the resource component. The Russian materials comprise standard textbooks for every grade level as well as supplements for both teachers and students.

Other elementary textbooks and workbooks from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Hungary were translated by the component.

The component also translated the 200th issue of Kvant, a popular monthly Soviet mathematics and physics magazine for secondary school students (grades 6-10). Following UCSMP's translation, in 1990 the U.S. National Science Teachers Association and the Russian Academy of Sciences began joint publication of a bimonthly English-language version of Kvant, entitled Quantum. Quantum ceased publication in 2001, but sample issues (in PDF) can still be found here.

Survey of Foreign Mathematics Education Literature

In cooperation with the NSF Survey of Applied Soviet Research in School Mathematics Education (1985-91), UCSMP translated and published leading Soviet research in the psychology and methodology of mathematics education, material previously unavailable in America. The first six translations in the series "Soviet Studies in Mathematics Education" were published in 1991 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM); two additional volumes were published in 1992 by UCSMP and are still available from the Director's office.

International Conferences on Mathematics Education

The Resource Development Component organized four UCSMP International Conferences on Mathematics Education. Held in 1985, 1988, 1991, and 1998, each featured prominent U.S. and foreign mathematics educators. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published the proceedings of these conferences in four volumes under the title Developments in School Mathematics Education Around the World.

The first conference focused on applications-oriented curricula and innovative instructional strategies; the second conference focused on school mathematics reform and national standards in France, Great Britain, Japan, Sweden, and the U.S.; the third focused on the goal of mathematics for all and historical and contemporary forms; the fourth focused on improving mathematics performance and technology.

These volumes represent some of the best thinking of the mathematics education community worldwide. They are available, while supplies last, from UCSMP.

Translations of foreign textbooks and research monographs published by UCSMP may be obtained from the director's office.

See UCSMP Directory, Available Materials, and Publishers of UCSMP Materials.

¹The mathematics education community was saddened by the death of Professor Wirszup in 2008. An obituary can be found on the University of Chicago web site.