Journal Article

What Primary Students in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan Value in Mathematics Learning: A Comparative Analysis

Law, Huk-Yuen, Barkatsas, Tasos, Leu, Yuh-Chyn, Zhang, Qiaoping, Seah, Wee Tiong, Wong, Ngai-Ying

2016

Overview

It has become increasingly recognized that what teachers and students value affect teaching and learning in general and in the area of mathematics in particular. Yet, the extent to which this is so varies across cultural regions. In recent years, how the ethnic Chinese teach and learn mathematics has attracted much attention worldwide. It is precisely the purpose of the present study to investigate the value structures of three Chinese regions. Using a recently developed and validated questionnaire, students’ values in mathematics learning in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan are delineated. In the first place, the results reveal that there are six dimensions in the students’ value structure, namely achievement, relevance, practice, communication, information and communications technology as well as feedback. However, in each of the six value components derived from the principal components analysis, statistically significant differences between the regions were found.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Academic Achievement / Basic Skills / Communication (Thought Transfer) / Comparative Analysis / Comparative Education / Correlation / Cultural Context / Cultural differences / Cultural values / Curricula / Curriculum Development / Data Analysis / Elementary Education / Elementary School Students / Elementary Schools / Factor Structure / Learning / Learning Activities / Learning Strategies / Likert scale / Likert Scales / Mathematics Activities / Mathematics Curriculum / Mathematics education / Mathematics Instruction / Principal components analysis / Questionnaires / Reliability / Student Characteristics / Student Participation / Students / Teaching