Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain are exploring and thinking of adapting Chinese methods of teaching. (Photo : Reuters)
Two batches of Chinese math teachers from Shanghai were already sent to Britain last November as part of the exchange project between the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and the British Department of Education.
The British students and educators welcomed the approach of the Chinese teachers in teaching mathematics, which has been described as “Shanghai-style.”
One of this approach’s key characteristics is “the use of precise, technical mathematics language” when teaching the youngsters, even those at the ages seven and eight.
Wang Chenguin, who has been working at the Wroxham School near London for two weeks now, said that the British approach of imparting mathematics know-how tend to have quite a number of ways in teaching only one math operation.
"For example, when it comes to subtraction, you can use an expression like 'take away' to refer to a minus sign. You can say take 2 apples way from 5 apples. But you are required to write down 5 minus 2 equals to 3 when it comes to the exact formula,” the experienced math teacher explained.
“However, in Britain, you can choose minus, take away, reduce or deduct to express such an action. This kind of teaching approach might do little in helping children to establish a precise conceptual grasp of mathematics,” Wang compared.
Sally Barker, a math teacher at the Wroxham School, said that the institution’s students are benefiting from the “Shanghai-style” math approach. She assists in the communication between the Chinese exchange teachers and the British mentors and students.
"When they were creating the 10-times table by the children had worked which number lines to look that. You know, they all chosen different. And then as a class, they share their findings. And rather than say this is how you do your 10 times table--you've got your unit and you act your zero, it's like what you notice, and the children discover the pattern. So it means more to them," she enthused.
As part of the joint education venture between the two countries, Britain’s publishing firm Harper Collins eyes to release a series of “Shanghai-style” math reference books.
