How Pythagoras ’ theorem is taught in

Abstract: This paper attempts to explore certain characteristics of the mathematics classroom by investigating how teachers from three different cultures, namely, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong and Shanghai, handle Pythagoras’ theorem at eighth grade. Based on a fine-grained analysis of one lesson from each of the three places, some features in terms of the ways of handling the same topic were revealed as follows: the Hong Kong teacher and the Shanghai teacher emphasized exploring Pythagoras ’ theorem, the Shanghai teacher seemed to emphasize mathematical proofs, while the Czech teacher and the Hong Kong teacher tended to verify the theorem visually. It was found that the Czech teacher and the Hong Kong teacher put stress on demonstrating with some degree of student input in the process of learning. On the other hand, the Shanghai teacher demonstrated a constructive learning scenario: students were actively involved in the process of learning under the teacher’s control through a series of deliberate activities. Regarding the classroom exercises, the Shanghai teacher tended to vary problems implicitly within a mathematical context, while the teachers in the other two places preferred varying problems explicitly within both mathematical and daily life contexts