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Curriculum Development in China
Perspectives from
curriculum design and implementation
Li Jun
East China Normal University
A very brief history review
Rites, Music, Archery, Chariot-Riding, Calligraphy, and Arithmetic
Apply the calculating techniques in solving the real world problem
Nine chapters on the mathematical art
Western mathematics and modern school systems were introduced
Ancient China mathematics was replaced by western mathematics gradually in the modern system
Chinese translation of European, Japanese and American textbooks
Ancient
After 1840
A very brief history review
The Soviet Model was imported
Textbooks were adapted based on those of the Soviet Union
National unified textbook policy (PEP, an affiliated Press of the MOE)
Curriculum was designed based on practical conditions of China
Attempts at a balance between Confucian and Western-style
education. The characters of former Soviet Union textbooks in
1950s sediment in China.
Some of the central control made less rigid.
1949-1958
After 1958
Characteristics of the Chinese Mathematics Textbooks (before 2001)
Coherent, systematic
Few topics, more teaching times
Topics relate toeach other
Theorem-basedcurriculum
Accumulation ofdifficulty
More topics in each item
Multi-steps and theorem-based
reasoning
High compositedifficultyBao, (2004)
Emphasized the rules and regulations of basic knowledge, and the rigor of proof, including the basic training of logic reasoning.
How many different mathematics textbook series are developed and approved for ……
Primary: 7
Junior secondary: 11
Senior secondary: 7
ATTAINEDKnowledge, Ideas,Constructs, Schemas
Textbook is a mediator between general intentions and classroom instructions
POTENTIALLYIMPLEMENTEDTextbooks and Other OrganizedResource Materials
INTENDEDIntentions,Aims & Goals
IMPLEMENTEDStrategies, Practice& Activities
(Valverde et al., 2002)
In China, “less and less” is not true“more and more”
Birth of textbook
A Proposal & Sample Chapters
Approved by MOE
Textbook Writing
Textbook Review by National Teaching Material Authorization Committee
Experiment Report
Modify Textbook
Check and Approved by the NTMAC
Appears on the MOE web site for textbook selection, with price
(Not necessary now)
educational bureau directorsteaching supervisorsheadmastersclassroom teachersparents
Textbook selection• Usually, all schools within a city select the
same textbook series in the same year
Textbook selection Committee
discussion & votedecision making
2 days reading,
Textbook competition becomes strong now. Low price, High quality, Good service Students buy textbooks, exercise books & calculators
textbook evaluation report is provided by Province
Textbook AuthorsGeneral Editor
Subeditor Subeditor
Writer Writer Writer Writer WriterWriter Writer
Famous Mathematician
University Faculty
University Faculty Teaching Researchers Schoolteachers editors
In addition to author textbooks for publisher, they have to finish their regular jobs. They are rewarded by the publisher.
But before 2000, the PEP textbooks were mainly designed and wrote by in-house editors. The authors were also required to collect data at schools and prepare for the experiment reports.
Curriculum Materials
TextbooksTeacher’s manuals Student exercise books
Prepared by the sametextbook writing team
Other Supplemented Materials:Hypertexts in electronic devices, such as CD ROMs, web-based educational products, etc.
Teacher Journals, problem booklets, workbooks, other teachers’ teaching plans, etc.
Various Intensions of the Textbooks
• Mathematical:
– modernization, big ideas
• Pedagogical:
– meaningful learning
• Sociological Contexts:
– technology, application
• Cultural Traditions:
– history, value
The curriculum development after 2000 in China was mainly driven by international comparative studies and guided by university faculty.
Teaching time for different topicsGrades 7- 9
1%
38%
32%
17%
6%6%
introduction
algebra
geometry
statistics
project learning
stage review
Statistics and probability: 69 teaching hoursTotal: 410 teaching hours
SOLO Level Summary Description
P Blank, fully irrelevant, illogical, egotistic answers or inability to become engaged in item answers.
U
Explains that probability just means may or may not happen and believes chance cannot be measured mathematically so chance comparison is impossible.Considers an incomplete set of outcomes in solving problem.
M
May consider all possible outcomes for a one-stage and sometimes for a two-stage experiment in qualifying uncertainty or estimating subjective chance value. For example, assigns an equal chance to each possible outcome for fairness.Interprets most likely to happen as meaning it should happen or interprets chance by frequency but without fully understanding the role of repetition.Uses rudimentary non-proportional reasoning in chance comparison.
R
Groups all possible outcomes in favor of a target event together and uses ratio as a measure of probability.Uses proportional reasoning in chance comparison.Knows that a larger number of repetitions is a more reliable predictor and expresses the idea of making a few repetitions automatically.
E
Assigns a calculated probability value in complicated situations, for example, involving two bags, two spinners and bases chance comparison on the values.Uses a generative strategy to construct sample space in a two- or three-stage experiment to work out probability.Suggests collecting data from a series of experiments and finding trends across sampling.
Research InfluenceData-based Reasoning
Experience to Uncertainty
Estimate Chance by Relative Frequency
Predict Probability by Formula
Examine Probability by Different Approaches
Make Learning be Attractive
• Connection– Students’ mathematical reality (cognitive
structure) – Students’ living reality
• Context– Game “Run to 30” fairness of games
• Concrete– Standard deviation formula reasonable
• Challenge not all mathematics could be or should be “make up” challenge the limits of oneself or exceed others
– Spinner size misconception
Voices of mathematicians, standards writing group, and schoolteachers
• The principles should be reconsidered;
• The framework should be reconsidered;
• Geometry teaching should be reconsidered;
• Curriculum development should not be in haste
Stick to the principles;Encourage practical research;Enhance communications with other interested parties
Basically agree with the principles;Suggest to revise both standards and textbooks immediately;Need practical supports rather than high expectations;Worry about students’ achievements in assessments and their future studies in senior high schools
(Bao,2004)
Old: PEP, 2001New: ECNU, 2001Grade 8 textbooks
Comparison on composite difficulty between new and old textbooks (Bao, 2004)
Investigate into Textbooks Use (Grades 7~9)
• Zhu & Song, (2004): Investigation and research of adaptability to new mathematics curriculum standards-based textbooks in the south-west area
– More than 1000 schoolteachers took the questionnaire
– More than 50 schoolteachers and students were interviewed
– Four series of new standards-based textbooks at junior high school level were investigated
• Yang, (2005): An investigation of new standards-based mathematics textbooks use in junior high schools
– 76 schoolteachers and 862 students from 16 junior high schools in the region of Hefei took the questionnaires
– Two series of new standards-based textbooks were investigated
How Well Textbooks Satisfy Schoolteachers?
• Textbooks published before 2000– Before 2000, the PEP series dominated the
textbook market, constituting more than 70% or more of the market’s supply. The PEP series modified time after time in the past 50 years and satisfied schoolteachers well at that time.
• New standards-based textbooks– The new standards and the first volume
textbook was published at the same year. So each series of new standards-based textbooks have to be modified year by year but major changes on the curriculum arrangements are happening after 4 years experiments.
Southwest Schoolteachers’ Evaluations of the Standards-based Textbooks Zhu & Song, (2004)
A: 4.00~5.00; B: 3.00~3.99;C: 2.00~2.99;
D: 1.00~1.99; E: 0.00~0.99
Average scores
Grades
Curriculum Arrangements
City teachers 3.88 BCountryside
teachers 3.94 B
Contents Difficulty
City teachers 3.01 BCountryside
teachers 2.90 C
Practical Operability
City teachers 3.18 BCountryside
teachers 3.18 B
Connections to other school
subjects
City teachers 2.63 CCountryside
teachers 2.75 C
To what extent do you feel satisfied with the new standards-based textbooks? Yang,
(2005)
• The majority of teachers and students felt satisfied with the new editions mathematics textbooks, but the quality of the textbooks should be improved. Especially, “Examples” and “Exercise Problems” need to be redesigned very carefully. The spiral curriculum model should be applied appropriately.
0 31 2 4 5
1.3% 5.3%
Very MuchNot at all
32.9% 46.0% 14.5% 0%Teachers
Students
1.7% 2.2% 9.5% 31.2% 37.8% 17.5%
The role of textbooks in teachers’ teaching
• The majority of the teachers depended highly on the
textbooks, and they depended on textbooks in deciding what to
teach more than in deciding how to teach. Teachers usually
did not depend on textbooks in “review lessons”.
• Over 90% of the teachers admitted that they did add some
contents not required by the new curriculum but appeared in
the old textbooks, such as some important theorems, formulae
and examples.
• Teachers used almost all the textbook examples in their
classroom teaching. However, they also selected examples
from other teaching materials and exercise books or they
simply designed or modified examples by themselves.
The use of columns in textbooks
• All columns, except “project learning”, were emphasized by the teachers. But the students seem enjoy “project learning”
• The two columns that students like most are “explore” and “reading material”
• The three kinds of teaching methods that students like most in order – whole class discussion leading by teacher– Manipulation– questioning and answering between teachers and
students
the burden of junior high school students
• About 75% of the students answered
that the time they spent doing
exercises outside textbooks is as long
as or longer than the time they spend
on doing exercises in textbooks.
Textbook Reading
• over 60% of the teachers said they
usually or often requested their
students to read textbook before (or
after) lessons and to be active in
classroom, while the students read less
than they were expected.
Overview
• A very brief history review and the forming of the characteristics of our textbooks
• The number of series, the birth of, the selection of, the authors of, the intensions of our textbooks
• The investigations into textbooks use