The "Two Basics": Mathematics Teaching and Learning in Mainland China

Mathematics education in eastern Asian countries emphasizes the importance of foundations, and in Mainland China the principle of "basic knowledge and basic skills" was explicitly put forward for the teaching of mathematics. This chapter analyzes in a detailed way the benefits and inadequacies of this principle and the practice arising from it from four aspects, namely, its historical roots and social environment, the goals of classroom teaching, teaching characteristics and underlying psychological principles, and education reforms and development in China. The different characteristics of Eastern and Western mathematics education can be complementary to each other, helping strike a balance between foundation and development concerning classroom teaching.