The knowledge and skills that mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) need to have for teaching mathematics teaching is a fundamental issue that influences their preparation and development. In particular, considering that mathematics teaching comprises MTEs' teaching work, do MTEs need to have school teaching experience and, if so, in what ways does…

This study examined characteristics of problem posing and its relationship with the teaching experience of elementary school mathematics teachers from ethnic minority areas in the Southwest of China. Eighty-one (N = 81) elementary school mathematics teachers responded to a task-based questionnaire and posed mathematical problems based on given…

This study serves two purposes. The first purpose is the development and validation of a Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs Scale (MTBS). In addition to providing a valid and reliable MTBS instrument, this study provides information on the process of developing and validating the instrument, which shall be useful for the development and validation of…

Gender differences in achievement in mathematics, a traditionally male-stereotyped subject, have long been a concern for many educators around the world. Gender differences in mathematical achievement have decreased in recent decades, especially in Western countries, and become small or insignificant in large-scale tests, such as the Programme for…

This study identified some factors associated with teachers' knowledge and beliefs that are related to scoring mathematics constructed-response (CR) assessment tasks. Five groups of teachers (n = 274) who either had different teaching experiences or had different cultural beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics were selected to score 28…

This paper reports on 2 studies that examine how mathematical problem posing is integrated in Chinese and US elementary mathematics textbooks. Study 1 involved a historical analysis of the problem-posing (PP) tasks in 3 editions of the most widely used elementary mathematics textbook series published by People's Education Press in China over 3…

Examines how selected U.S. and Asian mathematics curricula are designed to facilitate students' understanding of the arithmetic average. Discusses similarities and differences of learning goals, focuses, and concepts among U.S. commercial, Asian, and U.S. reform curriculum series. (Author/KHR)

This document is 7th in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education monograph series. The mathematical performance of (n=250) U.S. 6th-grade students from both private and public schools and (n=425) Chinese 6th-graders from both key and common schools was examined on multiple-choice tasks assessing computation and simple problem solving, and…

Cross-national studies in mathematics have consistently reported that U.S. students do not perform as well as Asian students on tasks requiring the application of mathematical knowledge and skills routinely learned in school. Recent studies have shown, however, that for tasks assessing relatively novel and complex problem solving, performance…

This study investigated the relationship between three cognitive features of mathematical instruction tasks (high cognitive demand, multiple representations, and multiple solution methods) and student learning outcomes among 1,779 students from 30 Chinese fifth-grade classrooms using a new mathematics curriculum. Measures of mathematics learning…

In this exploratory study, we developed a portrait of the challenges and strategic responses of secondary mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) in Chinese universities. The MTEs reported encountering more challenges when teaching pedagogical courses and supervising student teachers than when teaching college mathematics courses and teaching…

This study analyzed the problem-posing tasks in Chinese and U.S. elementary mathematics textbooks. Significant differences were found between the Chinese and U.S. textbooks in the presentation of problem posing activities. By analyzing problem posing in textbooks, we gain insight into how reform ideas are reflected in the mathematics curriculum.…

Only 25% of fifth- and sixth-grade Chinese students (n=186) correctly solved a division-with-remainder computation task, about the same success rate as with American students, and only one-sixth of the students could interpret the result. (MKR)

Investigates different approaches of students from different cultures to problems and problem-solving strategies. Suggests ways to encourage students to use algebraic strategies. Provides some action research ideas for teachers to try in their classrooms. Contains 11 references. (ASK)

The contributions of open-ended tasks in examining students' mathematical performance were studied with 250 U.S. and 425 Chinese sixth graders. Open-ended tasks allow for analysis of student performance that cannot be assessed solely by percent correct or incorrect, but they pose many problems, such as those of translation. (SLD)