What students outside Asia value in effective mathematics lessons: a scoping study

This article reports on a scoping study conducted in Australia and Sweden to facilitate the understanding of the values that are associated with effective learning of mathematics in Asian classrooms. Nineteen ??Western?? values have been identified, of which three (explanation, sharing and fun) were commonly embraced in the two countries. It is also evident that traits that are valued can be and are demonstrated in different forms. The implications for improving mathematics education through the harnessing of values are discussed. The distinction made between what is valued and the forms the value can take should empower classroom teachers to incorporate values flexibly in different classroom contexts.     

‘Excellent’ primary mathematics teachers’ espoused and enacted values of effective lessons

This paper reports a study that explored the characteristics of mathematics lessons that were espoused as effective by six ??excellent?? mathematics teachers and how they enacted their values in their classroom practice. In this study, we define espoused values as values that we want other people to believe we hold, and enacted values as values that we actually practice. Qualitative data were collected through video-recorded lesson observations (3 lessons for each teacher) and in-depth interviews with teachers after each observation. At the end of the project, stimulated-recall focus group interviews were used to allow teachers to define the meaning of an effective mathematics lesson as well as to recall and reflect on a 10-min edited video clip of one of their teaching lessons. The findings showed that these teachers shared five common characteristics of effective mathematics lessons: achieving teaching objectives; pupils?? cognitive development; affective achievement of pupils; focus on low-attaining pupils; and active participation of pupils in mathematics activities. These values were espoused explicitly as well as enacted in the lessons observed.     

Mediated action in teachers’ discussions about mathematics tasks

This paper presents analyses of teachers?? discussions within mathematics teaching developmental research projects, taking mediation as the central construct. The relations in the so-called ??didactic triangle?? form the basic framework for the analysis of two episodes in which upper secondary school teachers discuss and prepare tasks for classroom use. The analysis leads to the suggestion that the focus on tasks places an emphasis on the task as object and its resolution as goal; mathematics has the role of a mediating artefact. Subject content in the didactic triangle is thus displaced by the task and learning mathematics may be relegated to a subordinate position.     

Calculus in European classrooms: curriculum and teaching in different educational and cultural contexts

In this paper we provide a first overview of the landscape with respect to calculus teaching in European classrooms, an area where research is very limited. In particular through a small expert-based survey and a literature review, we trace the development of calculus teaching at schools in a number of European countries and identify commonalities and differences. In the current curriculum developments, we notice a reduction in the content of calculus and a more informal approach. The use of digital tools has started to be integrated in calculus teaching in most countries. However in some nations, teaching of calculus in the classroom is rather traditional, focusing on procedural aspects of knowledge. Moreover, in cases where more informal and conceptual teaching approaches are used in the classroom, often contradictions seem to exist with other contextual matters such as examination requirements. Finally, we discuss the future of calculus teaching in Europe.     

Mathematics classroom instruction excellence through the platform of teaching contests

In this study, we aimed to examine features of mathematics classroom instruction excellence identified and valued through teaching contests in the Chinese mainland. By taking a case study approach, we focused on a prize-winning lesson as an exemplary lesson that was awarded the top prize in teaching contests at both the district and the city level. The analyses of the exemplary lesson itself revealed important features on the lesson’s content treatment, students’ engagement, and the use of multiple methods to facilitate students’ learning. These features are consistent with what the contest evaluation committees valued and what seven other mathematics expert teachers focused in their comments. The Chinese teaching culture in identifying and promoting classroom instruction excellence is then discussed in a broader context.     

Pursuing excellence in mathematics classroom instruction through exemplary lesson development in China: a case study

In this article, we aim to examine the features of mathematics classroom instruction excellence valued in China. The popular approach to pursuing mathematics classroom instruction excellence through exemplary lesson development is also investigated to demonstrate the nature of teaching culture that has been advocated and nurtured in China. Features of an exemplary lesson are analyzed in detail, and the practicing teacher’s experience through participating in the development of the exemplary lesson is examined as well. Finally, the implications of developing exemplary lessons for pursuing excellence in mathematics classroom instruction as a culturally valued approach in China are also discussed.     

Teacher preparation for a problem-solving curriculum in Singapore

Problem solving is at the heart of the Singapore Mathematics curriculum. However, it remains a challenge for teachers to realise this curricular goal in practice. Here, we review the efforts of Singapore mathematics teacher educators in incorporating problem-solving (teaching) competency in teacher education and PD programmes. We discuss conceptual and practical issues, actions taken and changes made in building teachers?? capacity to enact a problem-solving curriculum in a school-based design experiment project. In the project, teachers learnt problem solving, observed and then carried out lessons, using the ??Mathematics Practical????akin to the science practical??as key to instruction and assessment.     

Exemplary mathematics instruction and its development in selected education systems in East Asia

What may teachers do in developing and carrying out exemplary or high-quality mathematics classroom instruction? What can we learn from teachers’ instructional practices that are often culturally valued in different education systems? In this article, we aim to highlight relevant issues that have long been interests of mathematics educators worldwide in identifying and examining teachers’ practices in high-quality mathematics classroom instruction, and outline what articles published herein can help further our understanding of such issues with cases of exemplary mathematics instruction valued in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.     

Searching for good mathematics instruction at primary school level valued in Taiwan

In this article, we aim to provide a glimpse of what is counted as good mathematics instruction from Taiwanese perspectives and of various approaches developed and used for achieving high-quality mathematics instruction. The characteristics of good mathematics instruction from Taiwanese perspectives were first collected and discussed from three types of information sources. Although the number of characteristics of good mathematics instruction may vary from one source to another, they can be generally organized in three phases including lesson design before instruction, classroom instruction during the lesson and activities after lesson. In addition to the general overview of mathematics classroom instruction valued in Taiwan, we also analyzed 92 lessons from six experienced teachers whose instructional practices were generally valued in local schools and counties. We identified and discussed the characteristics of their instructional practices in three themes: features of problems and their uses in classroom instruction, aspects of problem–solution discussion and reporting, and the discussion of solution methods. To identify and promote high-quality mathematics instruction, various approaches have been developed and used in Taiwan including the development and use of new textbooks and teachers’ guides, teaching contests, master teacher training program, and teacher professional development programs.     

Humans-with-media and continuing education for mathematics teachers in online environments

This paper begins by situating online mathematics education in Brazil within the context of research on digital technology over the past 25?years. I argue that Brazilian research on technology in mathematics education can be divided into four phases, and then present an example that ??blends?? aspects of the second and third phases. Phase two can be characterized by research with software designed to address traditional mathematics topics, such as functions, while the third phase is characterized by online courses. The data presented show creative solutions for a problem designed for collectives of humans-with-function-software. The paper is analyzed from a perspective that emphasizes the role of different technologies as teachers and professors collaborate to produce knowledge about the use of mathematical software in regular face-to-face classrooms. A model of online education is presented. Finally, the paper discusses how technology may change collaboration and teaching approaches in continuing education, as it allows for greater integration of online learning with teachers?? classroom activities in schools. In this case, the online platform plays an active role in the learning collective composed of humans-with-media.     

定义在复数上的复模糊值函数

把所有的关于y轴对称的模糊数都定义为零模糊数,则两个相同的模糊数的差为零,利用~ar-+~ar+这样一个数值来描述模糊数的序关系,就可以得到关于纵向对称的模糊数都是等同的.在此基础之上对实模糊数的模糊距离及极限进行了研究.并研究了复模糊数的距离与复模糊数列的极限以及复模糊值函数的极限.将研究的复模糊值函数是定义在复数集C上取值于F(C)(所有的复模糊数的集合)中的复模糊数的函数.在新的序关系意义下讨论复模糊值函数的极限,并讨论复模糊值函数的收敛性质及Cauchy收敛判别法等.     

K-拟可加模糊数值积分的自连续性

本文在K-拟可加模糊测度空间上建立了K-拟可加模糊数值积分,利用其积分转换定理和诱导算子的性质,将这种积分整体看成可测空间上取值于模糊值和集函数,从而使得这种模糊积分不仅具有自连续性,而且也满足逆自连续性。这些特性能更好地描述模糊值可测函数列和K-拟可加模糊数值积分序列的收敛性。     

度量模糊标志值离散程度的变异系数

继续[1],[2]的讨论，进一步探讨由Fuzzy数据资料计算变异系数的问题，提出了正有界闭Fuzzy数平均取值大小的评价指标，据此而给出了由表示为正有界闭Fuzzy数的数据资料计算变异系数的计算公式，还给出了数据资料的三角Fuzzy数和对称形Fuzzy数时变异系数的计算公式。     

向量值Nevanlinna理论初探

本文主要讨论定义在复平面取值为无穷维希尔伯特空间上的向量值亚纯函数的Ｎｅｖａｎｌｉｎｎａ理论．给出了推广的Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ－Ｊｅｎｓｅｎ－Ｎｅｖａｎｌｉｎｎａ公式以及推广的第一基本定理的证明，并对向量值特征函数的性质予以讨论     

Justification as a teaching and learning practice: Its (potential) multifacted role in middle grades mathematics classrooms

Justification is a core mathematics practice. Although the purposes of justification in the mathematician community have been studied extensively, we know relatively little about its role in K-12 classrooms. This paper documents the range of purposes identified by 12 middle grades teachers who were working actively to incorporate justification into their classrooms and compares this set of purposes with those documented in the research mathematician community. Results indicate that the teachers viewed justification as a powerful practice to accomplish a range of valued classroom teaching and learning functions. Some of these purposes overlapped with the purposes in the mathematician community; others were unique to the classroom community. Perhaps surprisingly, absent was the role of justification in verifying mathematical results. An analysis of the relationship between the purposes documented in the mathematics classroom community and the research mathematician community highlights how these differences may reflect the distinct goals and professional activities of the two communities. Implications for mathematics education and teacher development are discussed.     

Rolling simplexes and their commensurability (Laws of mechanics as a problem of choice between metrics and measure)

It can hardly be determined who noticed that Newton??s first law could be interpreted as Kepler??s second law for any observer, located out of the line trajectory of a freely moving body, and hammered the nail into the lit for metrics. However, every next generation, paying no attention to the ??Golden Rule of Mechanics?? and ??Lever Rule,?? with perseverance worthy of better cause has extracted it from the grave. In this paper, we bring forward additional (and forcible, from our standpoint) arguments in the direction that we should always study the original measure of things; in particular, we think that the set square can be most advantageously substituted for compasses at a certain stage of teaching plane geometry at school.     

Opening the closed text: the poetics of representations of teaching

I provide an analysis of the uses of representations of teaching by embedding such representations within Umberto Eco??s theory of the open work, in which literary works are understood not as carriers of a string of meanings, controlled by the author (??closed works??), but rather as fields of meaning. I contend that the well-established tradition of using representations of teaching for pedagogical purposes corresponds to the use of closed works. In contrast, their use for research purposes corresponds to the use of open works. I develop these considerations through an analysis of several representations of teaching, and show how features of these representations work variously to either open or close the work. I also provide anecdotal evidence that viewers of such ??open works?? may fall victim to a version of the so-called ??intentional fallacy.?? I discuss the implications of this for the integrity of the research enterprise.