Chinese Teachers’ Beliefs About Mathematics Teaching

Abstract

Cultural beliefs about teaching do not directly dictate what teachers do, but teachers do draw upon their cultural beliefs as a normative framework of values and goals to guide their teaching. In other words, teachers’ beliefs and values concerning effective mathematics teaching influence their instructional practice. Based on the findings from a number of studies, we provide a retrospective review and present a profile of Chinese teachers’ beliefs about mathematics teaching. In particular, we discuss these teachers’ beliefs about mathematics, the learning of mathematics, and the teaching of it. We then discuss the findings in a cross-national comparative context and point out some future directions for this line of research. This chapter not only helps us understand Chinese teachers’ beliefs about mathematics teaching from a cross-national comparative perspective, but it also provides insights about the ways to nurture these beliefs. In the past fifteen years, we have seen a growing interest in affect research in mathematics education. Common to all research into affect is the idea that the categories of affect are based on mental systems, and that these systems have a crucial influence on all processes of mathematics learning and teaching. Since the launch of a new round of basic education mathematics curriculum reforms in China, teachers have been seen widely as the key to its success. It is believed that educational change will happen only if the teachers critically reflect on their own beliefs and accordingly change their teaching behaviors to meet the new reforms. In summarizing successful experiences in education reform, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) suggested that “without the help and active participation of teachers” or “against their will,” education reform will never succeed. However, just like difficult system engineering, successful teacher change relates to various complicated factors. And, of all aspects of teacher change, belief change is the most difficult—yet, it holds the core position.