A Qualitative Research On Evaluating Primary Mathematics Lessons

The author did a qualitative research on evaluating primary mathematics lessons. The objects of the research are people who relates to New Mathematics Curriculum implementing, such as mathematics curriculum experts, mathematics education researchers, and mathematics teachers. The research aims at two questions: (1) what are the objects' criterions of good primary mathematics lesson? (2) How do they evaluate primary mathematics lessons? For above aims, the author interviewed 8 people who relates to New Mathematics Curriculum implementing, and observed the evaluating of mathematics lessons in a primary school. Through the interview and school case study, the following conclusions are drew: 1. There is no absolute criterion of good lesson. Everyone have his (her) respective criterion of good lesson. 2. When the research objects construct their criterion of good lesson, they stress the teaching aims designing and realizing, students' own initiative, mathematics thinking. Except teaching aim designing, the other aspects of teaching designing, teacher's instruction, unpredictable teaching and teacher's capability are be concerned to different extent. 3. When the research objects evaluate the mathematics lessons, they pay more attention to students' performance. Evaluating teacher's performance by evaluating students' performance is prevalent. But, the valuators' attitudes towards some parts of one lesson are different. Valuators pay more attention to the proposal of New Mathematics Curriculum, but the valuable experience of traditional teaching is not ignored. 4. Spurious lessons are criticized. The truthfulness of teaching and the correctness of teaching content are looked as the basic criterions of good lesson. 5. Some questions about New Mathematics Curriculum implementing are be concerned and pondered.