Spanning approximately 800 pages, Transforming Mathematics Education, authored by Dr. Sarah Chen and Professor Michael Rodriguez, claims to offer the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Spanning approximately 800 pages, Transforming Mathematics Education, authored by Dr. Sarah Chen and Professor Michael Rodriguez, claims to offer the "definitive analysis" of reform movements in American mathematics teaching spanning the last thirty years. The authors strive for comprehensiveness by, for instance, cataloging programs from primary through higher education levels throughout all fifty states. While Transforming Mathematics Education represents an undeniably thorough and significant academic work, it exhibits a flaw common to broad educational studies: it delivers extensive data gathering but fails to provide a cohesive theoretical structure that would synthesize the varied results into practical policy guidance.
Which option most accurately captures the central message of the passage?
The creators of "Transforming Mathematics Education" established far-reaching objectives for their wide-ranging study, yet the final publication lacks adequate examination of failed reform initiatives.
"Transforming Mathematics Education" represents a worthwhile attempt to methodically investigate mathematics teaching reforms, although its approach contains a notable limitation.
The broad range of "Transforming Mathematics Education" is impressive given that numerous state educational agencies refused to contribute to the research.
"Transforming Mathematics Education" incorporates more records of primary school programs than it does of higher education reform initiatives.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Spanning approximately 800 pages, 'Transforming Mathematics Education,' authored by Dr. Sarah Chen and Professor Michael Rodriguez, claims to offer the 'definitive analysis' of reform movements in American mathematics teaching spanning the last thirty years." |
|
| "The authors strive for comprehensiveness by, for instance, cataloging programs from primary through higher education levels throughout all fifty states." |
|
| "While 'Transforming Mathematics Education' represents an undeniably thorough and significant academic work," |
|
| "it exhibits a flaw common to broad educational studies: it delivers extensive data gathering but fails to provide a cohesive theoretical structure that would synthesize the varied results into practical policy guidance." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: "Transforming Mathematics Education" is a comprehensive and significant academic work, but it suffers from a common flaw in broad educational studies—it gathers extensive data without providing the theoretical framework needed to turn findings into practical policy guidance.
Argument Flow: The passage introduces an ambitious academic work and establishes its comprehensive scope. However, it then presents a balanced assessment that acknowledges the book's thoroughness while identifying a critical limitation: the lack of cohesive theoretical structure that would make the extensive data practically useful for policy makers.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct answer should capture that this book is both valuable and flawed
- Specifically, it should acknowledge that the work is comprehensive, thorough, or significant in some way, while also noting that it has a limitation or weakness
- The limitation mentioned in the passage is specifically about lacking theoretical structure to synthesize the data into practical guidance
- The right answer should balance recognition of the book's positive aspects with acknowledgment of its notable shortcoming
The creators of "Transforming Mathematics Education" established far-reaching objectives for their wide-ranging study, yet the final publication lacks adequate examination of failed reform initiatives.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the book lacks "adequate examination of failed reform initiatives"
- This specific criticism is never mentioned in the passage
- The passage's actual criticism is about lacking cohesive theoretical structure, not about examining failed initiatives
"Transforming Mathematics Education" represents a worthwhile attempt to methodically investigate mathematics teaching reforms, although its approach contains a notable limitation.
✓ Correct
- Describes the book as a "worthwhile attempt to methodically investigate" mathematics reforms and acknowledges that "its approach contains a notable limitation"
- This perfectly matches our analysis—the passage presents the book as thorough/significant but flawed
The broad range of "Transforming Mathematics Education" is impressive given that numerous state educational agencies refused to contribute to the research.
✗ Incorrect
- Mentions that "numerous state educational agencies refused to contribute to the research"
- This information appears nowhere in the passage and creates a completely different explanation for any limitations
"Transforming Mathematics Education" incorporates more records of primary school programs than it does of higher education reform initiatives.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the book "incorporates more records of primary school programs than it does of higher education reform initiatives"
- The passage makes no comparison about which level has more coverage and misses the main point about the theoretical limitation entirely