Soviet Secondary School Mathematics and Science Programs

Abstract

The decision to industrialize the Soviet Union in the late 1920s marked the beginning of a relentless drive to improve mathematics and science programs in secondary schools. This 40-year effort was highlighted by several major achievements: (1) New curricula were developed and implemented on a massive scale; (2) The Soviets created an outstanding and extensive literature on methods of teaching; (3) They based this literature on their own remarkable research in the psychology of learning and teaching; (4) The Soviets developed a vast and steady supply of specialized teachers with superior training; (5) Beginning in the mid-1930s Soviet research mathematicians and scientists at universities and the USSR Academy of Sciences collaborated to build an extraordinary enrichment literature and large-scale extracurricular programs designed primarily to discover and train young talent.