Yeping Li

Rongjin Huang

While the importance of knowledge for effective instruction has long been acknowledged, and the concept and structure of mathematics knowledge for teaching are far from being new, the process of such knowledge acquisition and improvement remains underexplored empirically and theoretically. The difficulty can well associate with the fact that different education systems embody different values for what mathematics teachers need to learn and how they can be assisted to develop their knowledge. To improve this situation with needed consideration about a system context and policies, How Chinese Acquire and Improve Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching takes a unique approach to present new research that views knowledge acquisition and improvement as part of teachers’ life-long professional learning process in China. The book includes such chapters that can help readers to make possible connections of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching in China with educational policies and program structures for mathematics teacher education in that system context. How Chinese Acquire and Improve Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching brings invaluable inspirations and insights to mathematics educators and teacher educators who wish to help teachers improve their knowledge, and to researchers who study this important topic beyond a static knowledge conception.

How Chinese Acquire and Improve Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching

Marilyn E. Strutchens

Despina Potari

Leticia Losano

This book highlights innovative approaches to preparing secondary mathematics teachers. Based on empirical findings gathered in several countries on five continents, it provides a wealth of best practices for preparing secondary mathematics teachers, and discusses issues related to their professional and personal growth, such as identity, content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge which also includes knowledge of integrating technology into teaching and learning mathematics. Divided into four parts, the book focuses on field experiences, technologies, tools and resources, teacher knowledge, and teacher professional identities. Some of the main threads running through the book are: the importance of university and school partners working together to ensure preservice secondary mathematics teacher’ success in developing pedagogical strategies that lead toward students’ mathematical engagement and achievement; the critical need for preservice secondary mathematics teachers to develop strong content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge; and the importance of providing opportunities, during pre-service education, for developing prospective teachers ́professional identities.

Knowledge, Identity, and Pedagogical Practices

Educating Prospective Secondary Mathematics Teachers

Rongjin Huang examines teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching, with a particular focus on teaching the concept of function and quadratic relations in China and the United States. 376 Chinese and 115 U.S.A. prospective middle and high school mathematics teachers participated in this survey. Based on an extensive quantitative and qualitative data analysis the author comes to the following conclusions: The Chinese participants demonstrate a stronger knowledge of algebra for teaching and the Chinese participants’ structure of knowledge of algebra for teaching is much more interconnected. Chinese participants show flexibility in choosing appropriate perspectives of the function concept and in selecting multiple representations. Finally, the number of college mathematics and mathematics education courses taken impacts the teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching.

A Comparative Study in China and the United States of America

Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge of Algebra

How Chinese Teach Mathematics and Improve Teaching builds upon existing studies to examine mathematics classroom instruction in China. It combines contributions from Chinese scholars with commentary from key Western scholars to offer multiple perspectives in viewing and learning about some important and distinctive features of mathematics classroom instruction. Viewing classroom instruction as part of teachers’ instructional practices, this book goes beyond teachers’ in-classroom instructional practice by also examining Chinese teachers’ approaches and practices in developing and improving teaching. Through this unique approach, How Chinese Teach Mathematics and Improve Teaching expands and unpacks the otherwise fragmented knowledge about Chinese practices in developing and carrying out mathematics classroom instruction. This book is indispensible reading for those interested in Chinese practices in mathematics teaching, and is a key book for teacher educators, school administrators and policy makers in expanding ways of supporting and helping mathematics teachers in instructional development and improvement.

Rongjin Huang

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