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Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and Its Influential Factors: An Analysis of Chinese Elementary Mathematics Teachers

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Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century

Part of the book series: New Frontiers of Educational Research ((NFER))

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Abstract

Sound mathematics knowledge for teaching is crucial for developing teachers’ effective mathematics instruction and thus, improving their student mathematics learning. What are the characteristics of such knowledge? What are the influences of teachers’ training in mathematics and mathematics specific pedagogy, mathematics teaching experiences, and study of curriculum materials for teaching particular mathematics topics with their colleagues on the quality of such knowledge? These two questions have not been appropriately explored and understood. Chinese elementary teachers are found to have deep mathematics knowledge for teaching and their various professional backgrounds and curriculum contexts provide a unique situation to examine these questions. This study analyzes the open surveys with 25 Chinese elementary mathematics teachers from three elementary schools in an urban metropolitan context and curriculum data that they used for their teaching. It found that the participants’ mathematics and mathematics specific pedagogy training or their mathematics teaching experience alone had limited influences on the quality of their mathematics knowledge for teaching. Their reconstruction of understanding of mathematics concept that they need to teach under the centralized curriculum with their colleagues shaped importantly the quality of their mathematics knowledge for teaching.

This study is developed with the support of the Spencer Foundation Research Grant (#200700052). However the opinions expressed in this study are the author’s which do not reflect those of the Spencer Foundation

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Pseudonym is used here and other places of the paper for a particular teacher in order to protect the participants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum Instruction, MS1071, College of Education, Texas Tech University, 3008 18th Street, Lubbock, Texas, 79409, USA

    Jian Wang Ph.D.

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  1. Jian Wang Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Jian Wang Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Teacher Education Research, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, People's Republic of China

    Xudong Zhu

  2. College of Education, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Kenneth Zeichner

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Wang, J. (2013). Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching and Its Influential Factors: An Analysis of Chinese Elementary Mathematics Teachers. In: Zhu, X., Zeichner, K. (eds) Preparing Teachers for the 21st Century. New Frontiers of Educational Research. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36970-4_20

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