Recent Advances in Mathematics Textbook Research and Development

This open-access book documents the issues and developments in mathematics textbook research as presented at the Fourth International Conference on Mathematics Textbook Research and Development (ICMT 4), held at Beijing Normal University (China) in November 2022. It showcases research and practical experiences from the mathematics textbook research field from over 20 countries and reflects the current trend of curriculum reform globally in terms of mathematics textbook research. It helps readers gain knowledge about various issues related to the development, content and use of mathematics textbooks from kindergarten to university level, in and out of school settings, in paper or digital format, as well as the historical and recent developments and future directions in mathematics textbook research.

ICMT 4 continues the successful series started in 2014, with the first ICMT held in Southampton (UK), which was followed in 2017 by ICMT 2 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and in 2019 by ICMT 3 in Paderborn (Germany).

Chunxia Qi is Deputy Dean of the Curriculum and Instruction Institute, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, China. She obtained her PhD in 1999 from Beijing Normal University, and has extensive experience in mathematics education and research in China, the United States of America (USA), and the United Kingdom (UK). She was a Fulbright visiting scholar at Teachers college, Columbia University (USA) during 2006 to 2007, and visiting scholar at the University of Reading (UK) from 2010 to 2011. Since 2017, she serves as an associate editor of Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology, associate editor of Frontiers in Education (STEM Education). Professor Qi’s research areas include (1) mathematics textbook research and development, (2) teacher collaborative learning and teacher professional development, (3) international and comparative education, (4) mathematics teaching and assessment. She has published more than 100 research articles in journals and conferences. Her recent publications include the monograph 'Research on Mathematics Textbooks and Teachers’ Resources: Advances and Issues' (Springer, 2018), and research articles on teachers’ collaborative learning and growth in ZDM-Mathematics Education (ZDM: Society for Didactics of Mathematics), International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, and on students’ literacy assessment in Applied Cognitive Psychology and British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Lianghuo Fan is a Distinguished Professor at the School of Mathematical Sciences, and the Director of Asian Centre for Mathematics Education at East China Normal University, China, and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Southampton, the United Kingdom (UK). Professor Fan is the founding Secretary General and Vice President of the Chinese Society of Mathematics Education. He was elected in 2022 as President of Shanghai Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association. Professor Fan holds a PhD from the University of Chicago, the United States of America (USA), and has extensive experience in education and research in China, USA, Singapore and the UK. Since 1998, he taught at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He joined the University of Southampton in 2010 as Professor/Chair in Education, Director of Mathematics, and Science Education Research Centre until 2018.

Professor Fan’s current research focuses on integration of ICT (Information and Communications Technology, including Artificial Intelligence) into mathematics teaching and learning, mathematics teachers’ professional development, mathematics curriculum and textbook research, and the influences of cultural and social contexts on mathematics education in different educational settings. Among Professor Fan’s numerous publications are some acclaimed books, such as 'Investigating the pedagogy of mathematics: How do teachers develop their knowledge', 'How Chinese Learn Mathematics' and 'How Chinese Teach Mathematics'. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of Asian Journal for Mathematics Education and Chief Editor of Frontiers in Education (STEM Education). Professor Fan has authored/edited, mostly as leading author/chief editor, multiple mainstream school mathematics textbooks and resource books in China, USA, Singapore and the UK, including recently the series of the Shanghai Mathematics Project Practice Books (for the English National Curriculum).

Jian Liu is Professor, a Research Chair at the Collaboration Innovation Center of Assessment towards Basic Education Quality, and Dean of the China Education Innovation Institute at Beijing Normal University, China. He also serves as China's National Educational Inspector for both the 9th and 10th sessions, Deputy Chairman of the Special Committee of Educational Assessment of Educational Development Strategy on Chinese Society, Director of the Education Research Center of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, as well as Director of Education and Culture Committee at Jiusan Society.

He engaged directly in the organization and implementation of the new century curriculum reform for primary and secondary schools (1999-2013), led the development of the first curriculum standard, namely National Mathematics Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education (Experimental Draft) (2001-2011). He also served as the Chief Editor of 'New Century Primary School Mathematics Textbook' which was included in the national primary and secondary school textbook catalogue, and used by more than 20 million students each year. He was commissioned by Pearson Education Group’s UK team to guide and participate in the preparation of the primary school mathematics textbook 'Power Math' (2016-2017), which became one of the two sets of mathematics textbooks recommended by British Education Ministryto British mathematics beginners. The textbook was top-selling math scheme in 2019 and received British Educational Training and Technology award.

Qimeng Liu is a Lecturer, and assistant to the Dean of China Education Innovation Institute at Beijing Normal University, China. His research interest covers textbook and teaching material research, educational innovation, education policy and revolution, mathematical problem posing and solving, and large scale assessment. He has extensive experience in national compulsory education quality monitoring in China, and participated in the preparation of the national and provincial education quality monitoring reports. His publications appeared in Educational Studies in Mathematics (ESM), ZDM-Mathematics Education (ZDM: Society for Didactics of Mathematics) and other top journals in the field of mathematics education. He is on the expert panel in establishing the index system of educational innovation in Chinawhich was sponsored by Beijing Normal University.

Lianchun Dong is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education in College of Science, Minzu University of China. He holds a PhD from Melbourne Graduate School of Education at University of Melbourne, Australia. Before his PhD, he obtained Master of Education (Mathematics Education) and Bachelor of Science (Mathematics) respectively from Beijing Normal University and Hebei Normal University, China. He has been working in Minzu University of China since he completed his PhD studies. He teaches undergraduate courses including Calculus, Linear Algebra and Probability, and postgraduate courses including Mathematics Curriculum and Textbooks, Middle and High School Mathematics Instruction, and Research Methods in Mathematics Education.

His research interest includes mathematics textbook and curricula, classroom interaction, teacher questioning, knowledge for teaching mathematics, growth mindset and mathematics learning, cross-cultural studies in mathematics teaching and learning. His recent research projects focus on mathematics learning and growth mindset, aiming to investigate how to cultivate students’ growth mindset and its impact on students’ problem posing and solving performances. His research findings have been published in journals such as Current Opinion in Behavioral Science, Frontiers in psychology, and Asia Pacific Education Review. He has won many highly competitive research funding in China, including the Beijing Educational Sciences funding and National Social Science Funding (2020).