Historically, Japan has educated its youth through lectures and direct-instruction in large classes. By 1995, according to that year's TIMSS report, the country had initiated a program of education reform intended to develop greater creativity in students. Japan encourages in-depth study of literacy and mathematics for its elementary students. Teachers facilitate students' thorough exploration of a modest number of topics. Secondary teachers continue the theme of focused instruction. Classes focus on one topic, and teachers provide most of the direction. As of 2003, a National Center for Education Statistics TIMSS report notes that on average Japanese teachers conduct public discussions 63 percent of the time and spare less time for small-group discussions (34 percent) and student presentations (3 percent).
Australian teaching methods differ from American ones in small but noticeable ways. According to the NCES 2003 report, Australian teachers are more likely to use small-group learning, at 48 percent of the time, than American teachers, at 32 percent of the time. Australian students are also more likely to engage in practical science experiments and engineering projects. Australian schools teach a subject called "Design and Technology" (D&T) at all levels. This subject integrates literacy, mathematics and science in practical, problem-solving challenges. An example D&T project could be to design a model house to scale for a storybook character that can withstand a 10 mph gust of wind.
Czech schools offer a traditional model of teaching. Teachers lead large groups of students in lessons often focused on disseminating and examining factual information. Czech lessons tend to focus on breadth over depth. TIMMS results from the NCES 2003 report show that Czech students complete more problems of shorter length in the typical class. Another unique feature of Czech schools is their propensity for whole-class discussions. According to a 2009 National Science Teachers Association report, Czech secondary teachers spend one-third of class time leading public discussions, compared to 19 percent for U.S. classrooms.
Finland has a decentralized school system but boasts strong national academic standards. A 2010 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report notes that Finnish schools provide a large amount of individual instruction and rely on personalized assessment rather than standardized testing. Across all levels of literacy, reading instruction focuses on students explaining what a text means rather than answering teacher-created questions. Mathematics and science teachers emphasize problem-solving over memorization. The Finnish curriculum also stresses practical experiences over worksheet completion.
Singapore's teachers believe lessons should include hands-on experience, both verbal and visual components and information that seems relevant to students' lives. A small country, Singapore has a centralized national curriculum that all schools follow. At the elementary level, the curriculum focuses on complete mastery of a small number of topics in each year. Teachers also strongly integrate both the arts and technology into the curriculum. Singapore has launched a 21st-century critical and creative thinking campaign in which schools intend to offer students a more diverse and flexible curriculum.