[Maths-Education] Book chapter on primary maths teaching in Japan

[petercav at hkucc.hku.hk]

Dear List Members

I'd like to take the liberty of drawing your attention to my new book, 'Primary
School in Japan: self, individuality and learning in elementary education',
which is scheduled to be published by Routledge in a couple of days' time. The
reason for publicising this on a maths education website is that the book
contains a long chapter giving a very detailed account of how two Japanese
primary school teachers taught a unit on 'proportion' to sixth year primary
students (age 11-12). I believe that this may be the most detailed account of
Japanese upper primary maths teaching available in English. The chapter also
attempts to analyse the approaches used by the teachers in relation to
literature on maths education - though since I am an anthropologist rather than
an expert on maths education, I offer this with a large dollop of humility and
deference to
real experts!

I would like to thank Anne Watson in particular for encouragement with this
chapter.

The rest of the book is a ethnographic study of various aspects of Japanese
primary education and recent educational reforms in Japan.

Unfortunately the book is published at Routledge's usual eye-popping hardback
price (80 pounds), but hopefully if enough libraries buy it, a paperback
edition might come out.

I humbly beg your favour, as we say in Japan.

Peter Cave
Lecturer in Japanese Studies
Manchester University