Perceived Professional Knowledge and Competence of Mathematics Specialists and Its Development in China

Item

Title

Perceived Professional Knowledge and Competence of Mathematics Specialists and Its Development in China

Abstract/Description

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore what professional knowledge and competence (PKC) that knowledgeable others, namely, mathematics teaching research specialists (MTRS) in China, need to know, and how they may develop their PKC.

Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts mixed methods. A survey on PKC with 549 MTRS is utilized to examine MTRS’ perceived held and ideal PKC and perceived effective ways of developing their PKC. The responses to the open-ended questions on the survey were used to identify additional dimensions of PKC and ways of developing PKC. Multiple techniques of quantitative data analysis were employed to feature the characteristics of PKC and structure of the survey, and the relationship between background variables and perception of PKC. Collectively, this study paints a rich and comprehensive picture about Chinese knowledgeable others’ knowledge and competence, and its development.

Findings
The data analysis reveals that the participants appreciated the six-dimension model of MTRS’ PKC. They were confident with their PKC in general, but varied in different aspects. The factor analysis showed the six-dimension model could be further clustered into two components: knowledge about mathematics teaching and learning and competence in mentoring and educational leadership, and knowledge about content, assessing student learning, and use of technology. The participants perceived their learning through multiple ways including: learning through reading, attending specific training programs, attending and mentoring teaching research activities both school-based and across regions, observing and debriefing lessons, sharing within online learning communities. All these venues jointly contribute to developing MTRS’ PKC.

Originality/value
This is the first empirical study on MTRS’ PKC and its development in China based on such a large sample. The findings of this study not only contribute to an understanding of knowledgeable others in Chinese lesson study and providing suggestions for support of their development, but also provide implications for studies of practice-based mathematics teacher-educators globally.

Author/creator

Huang, Rongjin

Zhang, Jianyue

Mok, Ida Ah Chee

Zhao, Wenjun

Zhou, Yuanfang

Wu, Zhengsheng

Date

2017

In publication

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies

Volume

6

Issue

4

Pages

321-335

Resource type

en Research/Scholarly Media

Resource status/form

en Published Text

Scholarship genre

en Empirical

Keywords

Chinese lesson study

mathematics teaching research specialists

professional development

professional knowledge and competence

teaching research activity

IRE Approach/Concept

Lesson Study

Chinese Lesson Study

Primary national context

China

Open access/full-text available

en Yes

Peer reviewed

en Yes

ISSN

2046-8253

DOI

10.1108/IJLLS-12-2016-0056

URL

Official Publisher’s Webpage (Emerald Insight)

Full-text PDF Shared by Author (ResearchGate)

Is part of

Theory and Practice of Chinese Lesson Study and Its Adaption in Other Countries [Special Issue]

Citation

Huang, R., Zhang, J., Mok, I. A. C., Zhao, W., Zhou, Y., & Wu, Z. (2017). Perceived Professional Knowledge and Competence of Mathematics Specialists and Its Development in China. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 6(4), 321–335. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-12-2016-0056

Item sets

Open Access Resource (IRE)

Int J Lesson Learning Std 6(4)

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