The Study Of The Present Situation Of Project-based Mathematics Learning In Junior Middle Schools

The course of "Project-based mathematics learning" is a new content set in the New Mathematics Curriculum Standards of Compulsory Education(2001).It is a further development of the course of practical activities and Synthesis application for primary school pupils and also the basis of research project learning of mathematics for senior middle school students.In recent years much has been done on the theory research of the course but the research on the practical application of the course is not complete and needs further development.The implementation of the new mathematics course is a significant part of the new curriculum reform.The successful implementation of the new mathematics course depends on the conformity and adaptation of different elements of the curriculum system(namely:the course goals and designing,teaching administration and organization,the adaptation of teachers and students,and assessment and evaluation of teaching and learning).Taking some of the public schools of Nanshan District,Shenzhen China as samples,this thesis aims to survey and explore the present situation,issues and the above related major factors concerning the implementation of project-based mathematics learning carried out in public junior middle schools and to provide data and support for the further research on the arrangement of the course,the development of new textbooks,and the improvement of mathematics teaching and learning in middle schools.This paper is divided into two parts:(1)An exploration of the present situation of the implementation of project-based mathematics learning in some state-run junior middle schools of Nanshan District of Shenzhen City.(2)An exploration of the factors that affects the implementation of the course of project-based mathematics learning.On the basis of analysis of the data collected through a survey conducted among some teachers and students,and interviews with school administrators,some teachers,students' parents and some students,the following major conclusions could be reached:1.About the goals and designing of the curriculum:the people surveyed agreed that the course is essential,and effective in developing the creativity and practical abilities of the students.The course is designed in accordance with the experience and cognitive level of the students and the contents are original and authentic,but the arrangement and the contents of the course are not systematic,and some of the contents are not ideally operative.2.About the administration and management of teaching and learning,most schools attached great importance to "the hardware".The schools are equipped with necessary device and equipment and special time is allocated.Generally,more than two project-based learning activities are carried out each semester.However,most teachers lack effective training and little research is done in the field.Some teachers are not so clear about the goals of the course and their teaching procedure tend to be subjective.3.The adaptation of teachers and students:Both teachers and students are aware of the importance of the course.Most of the surveyed teachers are trying to improve their teaching by adopting new methods.Students are enthusiastically involved in the course.The teachers' teaching and the students' learning are positively changed.The majority of the students hold they have got good results.But some teachers think they lack necessary reference materials,which adds to the teachers' work.The ninth grades of some schools are hasty in seeking good results and pay less attention to the process of the project.4.The assessment and evaluation towards the students' learning and performance in the project-based mathematics learning is unorganized and random.More research needs to be done in this field.In conclusion,it is strongly recommended that the contents of the course should be more systematic and practical,the administration and management of the course and the training of the teachers should be improved;the assessment and evaluation should also be improved,which is essential to the healthy development and implementation of the course.