This article analyzes Malaysian and Japanese educators' reactions to a mathematics lesson observed by a subset of researchers. The main aims are to reveal the cultural scripts about mathematical learning that are held by, but often invisible to, members of a culture; and to address educators' conceptions of teaching mathematics across cultures.…

This study investigates the characteristics of Japanese primary school mathematics lessons that adopt a problem-solving approach. We argue that these characteristics are reflected in three key aspects: collective teaching and learning, the lesson as a "drama" (i.e., its structured flow), and the focus on mathematical knowledge. In this…

Early understanding of base-10 concept has been shown to be associated with superior mathematical achievement among East Asian children. In addition to their base-10 structured number system, teacher support in kindergarten is also crucial to children's development of this complex mathematical concept. Therefore, this study examined how Japanese…

In Japan during the 1980s, there was an interesting debate about how to teach the area of a parallelogram effectively to primary school children. Yutaka Saeki criticized the standard method, which relies on a cut-and-paste procedure. He argued that the standard method inevitably failed to convince children because it does not provide any cogent…

Pupils' ability to represent mathematical concepts in multiple ways is a central aspect of mathematical competence and communication. Thus, classroom instructions should be able to support learners in using multiple representations (MRs) to increase the quality and quantity of connections to a network of ideas. Given the importance of bansho…

In conversations about pedagogy, researchers often overlook how physical space and movement shape teacher sensemaking. This article offers a comparative case study of classroom videos using a dynamic visual method to map embodied interaction called "interaction geography." Our analysis proposes an integrative framework to study classroom…

Purpose: This study aims to develop a self-reflection scale useful for teachers to improve their skills and to clarify the Japanese teachers' characteristics during mathematics lesson observation (MLO). In MLO, it is important to understand the lesson plan in advance to clarify observation points, and we aim to develop a scale including these…

This paper reports on a study of collaborative group work in mathematics. Although collaborative group work is known as one of the important approaches in education, it is still uncertain how group thinking can be measured in various learning contexts. We used the Group Thinking Measure (GTM) test developed by [Wegerif, R., T. Fujita, J. Doney, J.…

This study focused on improving students' learning mathematical of proofs and proving by using combinations of proof strategies that span different levels of understanding of proof structure; we refer to these as 'level-spanning proof-production strategies'. We analysed the level-specific proof-production strategies evident in the lessons and…

To encourage students' self-regulated learning at home, developing skills for textbook use to overcome learning-related impasses is crucial. This study examined the effects of providing mathematics class sessions that combined teacher instruction on appropriate textbook use with peer instruction, aimed at promoting students' spontaneity and…

Probability is a difficult concept, which is not always taught accurately. This study aims to clarify how experimental and theoretical probabilities are taught in Japanese 7th and 8th grades through a textbook analysis. We analyzed seven, government approved Japanese 7th and 8th grade textbooks each. Focusing on the definition and explanation of…

This study aims to develop a conceptual framework regarding practitioner knowledge and describe how one mathematics teacher generates her practitioner knowledge based on the framework. The characteristic of this framework is a combination of static and dynamic aspects of knowledge based on the teacher's perception and interpretation. The research…

Lesson study is a Japanese concept to improve teaching and learning mathematics through a particular form of activity in which a group of teachers works collaboratively to plan, implement, observe, and reflect on the proposed research lessons. Although lesson study is internationally acknowledged as providing key learning opportunities for…

Studies have found that problems exist with respect to elementary school teachers' understanding of proportions and their knowledge of the appropriate methods for teaching the concept. This study aims to help aspiring elementary school teachers form a healthy mathematical identity and deepen their understanding of mathematics. This quantitative…

This extended literature review explores four broad themes concerning mathematics education, the first of which is on how U.S. school-aged children have been performing in mathematics at the national and international levels. Findings demonstrated that at the national level, their performance has been stagnant for many decades for high school…