ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ THINKING ABOUT A GOOD MATHEMATICS LESSON

摘要

In an effort to gain a better understanding of Chinese classroom teaching culture, this study aimed to examine elementary teachers’ views about a good mathematics lesson in China. Through analyzing 57 teachers’ essays collected from 7 elementary schools in 2 provinces, it is found that Chinese teachers emphasized the most about students and their learning in their descriptions of a good mathematics lesson. However, in describing what it takes to develop a good mathematics lesson, they thought more about teachers and their knowing and understanding of textbooks than about students. The results revealed a picture of Chinese teachers’ thinking about a good mathematics lesson that is different from what has been reported about US teachers’ views. The findings suggest that examining teachers’ thinking about good teaching is valuable for understanding cross-cultural differences in mathematics classroom instruction.