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Students' different learning performance on mathematical problem solving across contexts has attracted a number of researchers' interest. The study investigates the spatial orientation ability of primary school students in an outdoor situation, where six pairs of grade six students are asked to coordinate themselves physically in terms of given distances with respect to two given points. Their spatial orientation performance is evaluated quantitatively, in terms of the number of attempts needed to reach the target points, as well as qualitatively by analyzing their strategies as described in their answers to a questionnaire. According to our findings the students enjoy and perform remarkably well in the outdoor setting, an observation that leads us to suggest that engaging students in outdoor activities may enhance their learning of mathematics.

In this study, the researchers go beyond the back-and-forth debates on the East-West educational paradigms that often arise from comparative studies, and take a reciprocal learning approach to explore in-depth the commonalities and differences in mathematics education between two Canadian and Chinese elementary schools. Research data were collected through direct and indirect interactions between the pair of research schools, including Skype meetings; formal and informal conversations with teachers and administrators; and the sharing/exchange of documents, texts, teaching materials, and resources. Results show that there is a common emphasis on some thematic issues in the teaching and learning of mathematics including the use of manipulatives, multiple solutions to mathematical problems, and parental involvement, but also some differences between the two schools in teachers’ strategies for teaching problem solving, students’ learning tendencies and schools’ supports for Special Needs students. The researchers conclude that the dichotomies of the East-West educational paradigms need to be further, and more deeply re-examined.

The present study took a reciprocal learning approach to examine Canadian and Chinese elementary school students' (N=40) mathematics problem posing and problem solving. Data included student performance, Skype meeting videos, meeting notes, and interviews transcripts through direct and indirect interactions between a pair of Canadian and Chinese sister schools. Qualitative and quantitative analyses show that the Chinese students and the Canadian students differed in the type of problems they posed to their counterparts, the performance of solving the problems posed by the counterparts, the strategies used to solve the problems, and the behavioral approach adopted to solve the problems. Possible sources of the differences and practical implications for mathematical teaching are discussed. The study proffered suggestions on what the Canadian and the Chinese can learn educationally from each other.

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This study examined characteristics of problem posing and its relationship with the teaching experience of elementary school mathematics teachers from ethnic minority areas in the Southwest of China. Eighty-one (N = 81) elementary school mathematics teachers responded to a task-based questionnaire and posed mathematical problems based on given problem situations. Characteristics of their mathematical problem posing were observed through the total numbers, appropriateness, difficultly, and flexibility levels of the problems posed by the teachers. Results show that elementary school mathematics teachers were capable of posing a considerable number of appropriate mathematical problems. Significant differences were found in the flexibility of the posed problems among the teachers with different years of teaching experience. This finding suggests that teachers' capability in mathematical problem posing may not necessarily grow along with teaching experience. Limitations of the study and implications in developing teachers' mathematical problem posing are discussed.

This article addresses how mathematics education in the People's Republic of China, a unified and multinational country, is implemented to cope with the challenges of cultural diversity. The article begins with a general overview of ethnic minority education, and then attempts to articulate the various mathematical cultural practices in ethnic minority groups. The article then examines the reform, exploration, and development of mathematics education for ethnic minority groups, including curricula, teacher education, and studies in mathematics education. Finally, the authors propose a new starting point for further implementation of cultural diversity in mathematics education.