Prospective Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge of Algebra : A Comparative Study in China and the United States of America

Rongjin Huang examines teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching, with a particular focus on teaching the concept of function and quadratic relations in China and the United States. 376 Chinese and 115 U.S.A. prospective middle and high school mathematics teachers participated in this survey.

Based on an extensive quantitative and qualitative data analysis the author comes to the following conclusions: The Chinese participants demonstrate a stronger knowledge of algebra for teaching and the Chinese participants’ structure of knowledge of algebra for teaching is much more interconnected.

Chinese participants show flexibility in choosing appropriate perspectives of the function concept and in selecting multiple representations.

Finally, the number of college mathematics and mathematics education courses taken impacts the teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching.