Examining the Association Between Teacher Feedback and Mathematics Instruction in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United States

Recent research demonstrates that professional learning experiences and consistent evaluation and feedback systems significantly improve teachers’ instructional practices and students’ learning. This chapter examines the role of teacher evaluation and feedback systems in supporting instructional change with four other factors: professional development, collaboration, teacher beliefs about constructive pedagogy, and teacher–student relationships. Data came from lower secondary school mathematics teachers’ responses to the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS) 2013, and focuses on schools in Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United States. Descriptive analyses illustrate how teacher evaluation and feedback vary across these countries, while regression analyses examine the degree to which teacher feedback is associated with mathematics instruction. In particular, the study explores factors that mediate the impact of teacher feedback on mathematics instruction. The results of this study provide comparative insights into how to use teacher evaluation and feedback systems effectively in improving mathematics instruction.