ABSTRACT
In the past twenty years, there has been increasing interest in examining and understanding Chinese mathematics teachers and their instruction. Such research interest is usually fueled by Chinese students’ achievement in school, and relevant studies have covered a range of topics using various approaches. Some of the studies examined the similarities and differences between teachers from China and teachers from another country, particularly the United States (Cai & Wang, 2010; Ma, 1999; Schleppenbach et al., 2007). Other studies focused on Chinese teachers’ classroom instruction, or the preparation and professional development of Chinese mathematics teachers. Some examples include how Chinese teachers use variation in their lessons to promote students’ effective learning (Gu, Huang, & Marton, 2004), how a novice teacher learns to teach under her mentor’s guidance (Wang & Paine, 2001), and how a Chinese teacher improves classroom instruction through participating in a teaching research group (Yang, 2009). On-going research development has facilitated better understanding of mathematics teachers and their teaching practices in China. However, there are still many practices that appear novel to educators outside of China, such as master teacher work stations (Li, Tang, & Gong, 2011), teaching research groups, and teaching contest (Groves, 2009). Much remains to be examined on such unique practices valued in China and their impact on teachers’ learning and professional development.
