Understanding the Outcomes of the China–England Mathematics Teacher Exchange: Observations of a Shanghai Teacher

Abstract

Highlights This study examines the China–England Mathematics Teacher Exchange program to identify and evaluate the differences in Chinese approach to mathematics education. There are numerous differences in terms of national mathematics curricula, organization of mathematics teaching, and evaluation objectives and methods due to different educational and learning cultures. China has made great achievements in mathematics education and student academic performance but has much to learn from England. In January 2019, Sheffield Hallam University published Longitudinal Evaluation of the Mathematics Teacher Exchange: China-England Final Report. Commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) in England, the systematic and comprehensive report evaluated the outcomes of the Mathematics Teacher Exchange (MTE), 1 a program involving teacher exchanges between England and Shanghai and the implementation of “maths mastery pedagogy.” Initiated in 2014, the MTE sought to combine the strengths of English and Chinese mathematics education into a single, “unbeatable” system. The Sheffield study discusses the background and progress of the MTE program in identifying the differences between English and Chinese approaches to mathematics education. In doing so, the study revealed that the gap between advanced and poor mathematics education in Shanghai and English primary schools is not due to the developments in education, but other factors such as the different approaches adopted by individual teachers in the classroom, choice of assessment methods, and educational and learning cultures. Evaluating these differences provides greater insight into both the MTE and mathematics education in China. Accordingly, this article briefly summarizes a series of evaluation reports on the MTE and examines the literature, media coverage, and experiences of the teachers involved.