Communicating according to the standards: examining math talk in Chinese and U.S. mathematics classrooms

This dissertation examines how some U.S. and Chinese teachers may employ some of the suggestions of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Standards, during their discursive exchanges in the classroom. More importantly, this study attempts to operationalize one section of the Standards, Communications in the 3rd through 5th grades, by developing a coding scheme based on key ideas and principles from that section, and, then, by using those codes as a way to assess some teachers’ behaviors. In doing so, I found that Chinese teachers’ practices are more aligned with some of the suggestions of the Standards. However, the way in which teachers employ these suggestions varied greatly. A more in-depth look at segments of classroom discourse revealed that U.S. and Chinese teachers, even when employing some of the same the suggestions, have different intentions, strategies, and implementation. This study highlights the importance of specificity and consensus when evaluating teachers against the suggestions and principles of reform documents, reports, and studies. With these findings, we possibly can augment the professional development of U.S. teachers through the use of video, especially viewing teachers with contrasting approaches to our own