Perceptions of mathematics curricula and teaching in China

China and other East Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) have consistently outperformed the United States and other Western countries in mathematics achievement. As part of a Fulbright‐sponsored trip to China in the Summer of 2002, a New York City public school teacher and a trainer of school psychologists offer their impressions of some of the reasons for these differences. Their impressions are based on observations of schools and classrooms, review of curricula, and a review of the literature. Four areas are covered: textbooks, curricula, teaching practices, and teacher knowledge. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 251–258, 2005.