Title: Curriculum Development in China Perspectives from curriculum design and implementation
1Curriculum Development in ChinaPerspectives
from curriculum design and implementation
- Li Jun
- East China Normal University
2A very brief history review
Ancient
Rites, Music, Archery, Chariot-Riding,
Calligraphy, and Arithmetic Apply the calculating
techniques in solving the real world problem Nine
chapters on the mathematical art
After 1840
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
3A very brief history review
1949-1958
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)
After 1958
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.
4Characteristics of the Chinese Mathematics
Textbooks (before 2001)
Coherent, systematic
Few topics, more teaching times
Topics relate to each other
Theorem-based curriculum
Accumulation of difficulty
More topics in each item
Multi-steps and theorem-based reasoning
High composite difficulty
Bao, (2004)
Emphasized the rules and regulations of basic
knowledge, and the rigor of proof, including the
basic training of logic reasoning.
5How many different mathematics textbook series
are developed and approved for
Primary 7
Junior secondary 11
Senior secondary 7
6Textbook is a mediator between general intentions
and classroom instructions
INTENDED Intentions, Aims Goals
(Valverde et al., 2002)
In China, less and less is not true more and
more
7Birth of textbook
Appears on the MOE web site for textbook
selection, with price
Check and Approved by the NTMAC
Modify Textbook
Textbook Review by National Teaching Material
Authorization Committee
(Not necessary now)
Textbook Writing
Approved by MOE
A Proposal Sample Chapters
8Textbook selection
- Usually, all schools within a city select the
same textbook series in the same year
educational bureau directors teaching
supervisors headmasters classroom teachers parents
decision making
2 days reading,
discussion vote
textbook evaluation report is provided by
Province
Textbook selection Committee
Textbook competition becomes strong now. Low
price, High quality, Good service Students buy
textbooks, exercise books calculators
9Textbook Authors
General Editor
Famous Mathematician
Subeditor
Subeditor
University Faculty
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
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.
10 Curriculum Materials
Textbooks Teachers manuals Student exercise
books
Prepared by the same textbook 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.
11 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.
12Teaching time for different topicsGrades 7- 9
Statistics and probability 69 teaching
hours Total 410 teaching hours
13Research Influence
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.
14Make 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
15A two-person game Run to 30
- Two Players count numbers quickly from 1 to 30 by
turns. Each player is allowed to count one or two
numbers in each turn. The player who catch the
number 30 will be the winner of the game.
16Standard Deviation Formula
New approach To find out measures of spread
(range, mean deviation, variance, standard
deviation, etc.) during whole class discussion.
Why we should divide the sum of the squares by
the number N Calculate SD with calculator or
computer
Traditional approach Standard Deviation is the
measure of spread most commonly used in
statistical practice. Do some calculation
exercises manually.
17Spin each spinners arrowhead as hard as you can.
Suppose you want the arrowhead to stop in the
blue part. Which spinner will give you more
chance to be successful?
blue
Student A
Spinner B gives a greater chance because the
spinner is bigger and has more blue part
spinner A spinner B
Student B
The two spinners give the same chance because
there are only two possible outcomes land on
red or blue. Each spinner has 50 chance to be
successful. So it doesn'tt matter whether you
choose the big one or the small one.
18Voices of mathematicians, standards writing
group, and schoolteachers
Stick to the principles Encourage practical
research Enhance communications with other
interested parties
- The principles should be reconsidered
- The framework should be reconsidered
- Geometry teaching should be reconsidered
- Curriculum development should not be in haste
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
19(Bao,2004)
Old PEP, 2001 New ECNU, 2001 Grade 8 textbooks
20Comparison on composite difficulty between new
and old textbooks (Bao, 2004)
21Investigate into Textbooks Use (Grades 79)
- 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
22How 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 markets 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.
23Southwest Schoolteachers Evaluations of the
Standards-based Textbooks Zhu Song, (2004)
A 4.005.00 B 3.003.99C 2.002.99 D 1.001.99 E 0.000.99 A 4.005.00 B 3.003.99C 2.002.99 D 1.001.99 E 0.000.99 Average scores Grades
Curriculum Arrangements City teachers 3.88 B
Curriculum Arrangements Countryside teachers 3.94 B
Contents Difficulty City teachers 3.01 B
Contents Difficulty Countryside teachers 2.90 C
Practical Operability City teachers 3.18 B
Practical Operability Countryside teachers 3.18 B
Connections to other school subjects City teachers 2.63 C
Connections to other school subjects Countryside teachers 2.75 C
24To 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.
Very Much
Not at all
0
3
2
4
5
1
Teachers
1.3
5.3
32.9
46.0
14.5
0
Students
1.7 2.2 9.5 31.2 37.8
17.5
25The 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.
26The 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
27the 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.
28Textbook 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.
29Overview
- 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