Viewpoint: Yes, whole-class teaching improves mathematical instruction by cutting down on preparation time for teachers and providing teachers with a consistent method to assess student development.

Viewpoint: No, whole-class teaching does not improve mathematical instruction; it is inefficient and ineffective except in situations where class size is very small and student ability falls in a narrow range.

At the heart of this debate is the age-old question, "How much is too much?" Should class time center around "whole-class teaching" methods, or should it be tailored toward individual needs? Or should it, ideally, be a mixture of methods?

Most of us have suffered from a twinge of math anxiety at least once, especially when faced with the challenge of solving a seemingly impossible-to-solve equation. And yet, by all accounts, basic mathematical skills are considered by many to be essential...