Abstract
In China, the importance of quality mathematics education has never been called into a question, whereas numeracy as a general capability that is more than the mastery of mathematical knowledge and skills is seldom discussed in the literature about Chinese schools and education systems or considered in teaching practices, presenting an overall picture that numeracy development seems to be missing from Chinese education or considered as a tacit outcome automatically produced by the acquisition of mathematical knowledge. This issue may stem from the linguistic differences between English language and non-English language that render the interpretation of numeracy distorted and further evolve into a whole situation in China as a result of the longstanding debate on the essence of numeracy and the heavy emphasis laid on mathematics education rather than numeracy development as a whole. In this paper, the nature of numeracy is discussed by referring to a number of classic literature works, with special attention to clarifying the relationships between numeracy and mathematics that can be confused at a conceptual level.
Highlights
Chinese students begin learning mathematics from a rather early age, and when they are memorising the so-called multiplication table invented by Chinese mathematicians thousands of years ago as a must-have mathematical skill required in primary schooling, their peer groups in western countries are still working on simple mathematical operations like addition and subtraction using concrete methods with the assistance of hands-on tools and materials
Numeracy is a complicated concept in education
And it is defined as mathematical ability and knowledge, and this definition is still widely accepted both internationally and under the local context of China where the significance of mathematics in schooling has never been called into a question
Summary
Chinese students begin learning mathematics from a rather early age, and when they are memorising the so-called multiplication table invented by Chinese mathematicians thousands of years ago as a must-have mathematical skill required in primary schooling, their peer groups in western countries are still working on simple mathematical operations like addition and subtraction using concrete methods with the assistance of hands-on tools and materials. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] (n.d.a) gives a remarkably systematic and comprehensive explanation of numeracy, regarding it as a set of “knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations”, with which learners are able to become numerate and confidently and purposefully develop and utilise mathematical skill and knowledge both in academic studies of diverse areas and subjects and in daily lives
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