• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.15-29
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• 2015

This study aims to analyze how the history of mathematics is used in Chinese mathematics textbooks. As a framework for analysis, we categorized nine types of using the history of mathematics in textbooks. We analyzed 18 mathematics textbooks for Chinese elementary and middle schools. As a result, we found that various types of using the history of mathematics were adopted in Chinese textbooks except for explorations of mathematical errors in history. We also noticed three characteristics: preference to using for motivation and reading matters in elementary school levels, high frequencies of using problems from traditional mathematical books and origins of mathematical concepts or symbols, and emphasis on ethnic superiority through the Chinese traditional mathematics. Based on the results of analysis, we discussed and induced some implications for using the history in our mathematics textbooks.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.247-265
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• 2015

Mathematics textbook plays a significant role in shaping students' learning of mathematics. Logic, rigor and abstraction as typical features of the formalization of mathematics, dominate mathematics textbooks around the world, which is regarded as one of the important origins of students' learning difficulties in mathematics. An innovative series of Chinese mathematic textbooks is presented in this paper. Supported by the supplementary materials excerpts from the textbooks, it gives a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the principles of design and implementation of this series of mathematics textbooks. The effectiveness of this series of textbooks is demonstrated by student achievement and secondary research data. It shows that series of Chinese mathematic textbooks has largely decreased students' learning difficulties in mathematics and enhance classroom teaching efficiency. It suggests that prioritizing the essence of mathematics and reducing abstraction is an important notion for mathematics textbook design and implementation.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.123-144
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• 2004

There is a tradition of advocating the 'two basics' (basic knowledge and basic skills) in Chinese mathematics education. The direct consequence is that Chinese students are able to produce excellent performance in the international mathematics examinations and outstanding results in the international mathematics competitions. In this article, we will present why and how Chinese teachers teach the 'two basics,' and how combine the pupil's creativity with their 'two basics.' Open ended problem solving is a way to meet the goal. The following topics will be concerned: Culture background; the speed of computation; 'make perfect' ; Efficiency in classroom; Balance between 'two basics' and personal development. In Particular, Chinese mathematics educators pay more attentions to the link between open ended problem solving and the 'two basics' principal.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.21-42
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• 2006

We investigate chinese mathematicians and their works including their books. We also compare the present transcription of chinese mathematicians and their mathematics books with that in published books on history of chinese mathematics.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2008

Before the 14th century, China had been thought as one of the countries with the most developed mathematics all along. But after the 16th century, Chinese mathematics increasingly walked up to the eclipse. The main reasons include the following points. First, the development of neoteric mathematics was closely associated with the social industrialization, but the lags in feudal China seriously blocked the development of the capitalistic seed, and China was still in the agricultural society then and couldn't step into the industrial society, which impeded the development of mathematics concerned with the industry and commerce. Second. the increasingly carrion feudalization was one of the essential reasons to block the development of Chinese neoteric mathematics. Finally, seeing about the developing logics of Chinese neoteric mathematics, we can find it was a scattered and experiential mathematical knowledge without strict and rational self-organizing structure system, which had the limitations existing in its interior mechanism.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.337-347
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• 2004

Korea and China have maintained close relationships since the ancient times along with Japan, which also shares the common Chinese culture. The three major players in Northeast Asia have been recognizing their increasing importance in politics, economy, society, and culture. Considering those relationships among the three countries, it's necessary to compare and investigate their mathematics terminology. The purpose of this study is to investigate the similarities and differences between the terminology of school mathematics in Korean, Chinese and Japanese. The mathematics terms included in the junior high school of Korea were selected, and the corresponding terms in Chinese and Japanese were identified. Among 133 Korean terms, 72 were shared by three countries, 9 Korean terms were common with China, and the remaining 52 Korean terms were the same as Japanese terms. Korea had more common terms with Japan than China, which can be explained by the influences of the Japanese education during its rule of Korea in the past. The survey with 14 terms which show the discrepancy among 3 countries were conducted for in-service teachers and pre-service teachers. According to the result of the survey, preferred mathematics terms are different from one group to the other, yet the Korean mathematics terms were more preferred in general. However some terms in Chinese and Japanese were favored in certain degree. This result may provide meaningful implications to revise the school mathematics terms in the future.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.173-194
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• 2010

This study examines the differences and similarities of mathematics teachers' subject matter knowledge among England, the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong. Data were collected from a ten-item test in the SKIMA subject matter audit instrument [Rowland, T.; Martyn, S.; Barber, P. & Heal, C. (2000). Primary teacher trainees' mathematics subject knowledge and classroom performance. In: T. Rowland & C. Morgan (eds.), Research in Mathematics Education, Volume 2 (pp.3-18). ME 2000e.03066] from over 500 participants. Results showed that participants from England performed consistently better, with those from Hong Kong being next and then followed by those from the Chinese mainland. The qualitative data revealed that participants from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland were fluent in applying routines to solve problems, but had some difficulties in offering explanations or justifications.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.223-234
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• 2018

Ancient Chinese mathematics education has a long history of more than 3,000 years, and many excellent mathematicians have been fostered. However, the systematic framework for teaching mathematics should be considered to be started from the Zhou Dynasty. In this paper, we examined the educational goals, trainees(learners), providers(educators), and contents in mathematics education in the ancient Chinese Zhou Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.9 no.4 s.24
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• pp.329-333
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• 2005

Based on author's practice of instructing Chinese gifted students to join the Chinese Mathematics Olympic (CMO), the paper adopted test analysis model of the Scholastic Aptitude Test of Mathematics (SAT-M), tested mathematics ability of 212 mathematical gifted students to join the CMO, applied correlation analysis and factor analysis and proposed the mathematics ability structure in Chinese gifted students including comprehensive operation ability, logic thinking ability, abstract generalization ability, spatial imagination ability, memory ability, transfer ability and intuition thinking ability. And it analyzed the expression form of these abilities respectively and gave some suggestion on mathematics teaching about gifted Chinese students.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.221-234
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• 2007

A comparison of mathematics teachers' personal beliefs between in- and pre-service teachers for Chinese secondary schools (grades 7-12) about mathematics theories, teaching and learning has been studied. In-service teachers' beliefs are close to constructivist's aspect and pre-service teachers' beliefs are close to absolutist's views. Based on the results, we give some suggestions to both teacher education and in-service teachers' training.