1. Main work performed
The following main work has been performed:
1) February —May 2016, translation and development of evaluation instruments; translation and modification of the coding manual;
2) June—August 2016, adapting the video-based competence tests to China, development, modification and finalization of the instrument, piloting the instrument in China;
3) September 2016— January 2017, data collection in China (data from 203 teachers were collected);
4) February— May 2017, coding, data analysis and collection of students’ achievements;
5) June 2017— February 2018, data analysis and manuscript writing. Presentation of results to interested colleagues of the University of Hamburg and to a broader German audience with colleagues from other universities.
2. Overview of the results:
2.1 Theoretical comparison of (mathematics) teacher professional competence in China and Germany
Main similarities: conceptualizing of teacher competence as a multi-dimensional construct comprising various types of knowledge, teaching related skills, and beliefs;
Main differences: the Chinese frameworks include a wider range of teacher competences and emphasize more teaching-related competences in contrast to Western (German) frameworks.
2.2 Validating a German framework of mathematics teacher professional competence in China
The integrating of a qualitative and a quantitative approach of validity implies the possibility to validate the adapted framework and instruments (e.g. studying elemental validity and construct validity).
2.3 Similarities and differences of in-service mathematics teachers’ professional noticing
German teachers significantly performed better than Chinese teachers on professional noticing from a general pedagogical perspective, in contrast, Chinese teachers outperformed their German counterparts on professional noticing from a mathematics educational perspective.
2.4 Relationship between Chinese mathematics teachers’ professional knowledge and their professional noticing
A weak correlation between Chinese in-service mathematics teachers’ mathematics content knowledge (MCK) and their professional noticing was identified. A relatively stronger relation between mathematics teachers’ pedagogy-related knowledge (including GPK and MPCK), and their noticing was identified.
3. Exploitation and dissemination of results
3.1 Exploitation of results
1). The project contributes to the reform of pre-service and in-service (mathematics) teacher education curriculum and even (mathematics) teacher education policy.
2). The project accounts for the modification of mathematics curriculum reform in Germany and China.
3.2 Dissemination of results
Two means were used to disseminate the results:
1). National and international conferences:
• New International Perspectives on Future Teachers’ Professional Competencies, 21-23 September, 2017, University of Hamburg, Germany;
• The 41st Conference of the International Group for Psychology of Mathematics Education, 3-8 July 2017, Singapore.
2). Submission of journal articles:
• Professional noticing of mathematics teachers: A comparative study between Germany and China, submitted to International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, present status: accepted with minor revision;
• An Exploration of the Relationship between Chinese In-service Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge and Professional Noticing, submitted to Teaching and Teacher Education, present status: under review;
• Measuring Chinese In-service Mathematics Teachers’ Professional Competence: Adopting and Validating a German Framework in China, submitted to Journal of Curriculum Studies, present status: under review.
3). Publication of book chapters:
• Kaiser G., Yang X. (2017) Reflections on Research Trends in International Comparative Studies in Mathematics Education. In J.W. Son, T. Watanabe, J.J. Lo (Eds.), What Matters? Research Trends in International Comparative Studies in Mathematics Education. Research in Mathematics Education (pp. 395-409). teacher competence Cham: Springer.
