The mathematics classroom in Beijing,Hong Kong and London

This paper reports a classroom observation study which intends to characterise the instructional practices in junior secondary mathematics classrooms in Beijing, Hong Kong and London, focusing on the different cultural beliefs pertaining to mathematics and mathematics teaching and learning between the Chinese and Western cultures. The results show that there are striking differences in classroom practices between the three places, and the differences seem to be related to the differences in attitudes towards mathematics and mathematics teaching and learning. The findings point to the potential of the cultural perspective in interpreting results of comparative curriculum studies.