Teaching with Variation: A Chinese Way of Promoting Effective Mathematics Learning

This chapter consists of two parts. First, based on a longitudinal experiment aiming at effective mathematics teaching and learning in China, a theory, called teaching with variation, is summarized by adopting two concepts of variation, i.e. conceptual variation and procedural variation. Secondly, it is demonstrated that the Chinese theory is strongly supported by several well-known Western theories of learning and teaching. Particularly, the Marton's theory offers an epistemological foundation and conceptual support for the Chinese theory. Moreover, the authors argue that the teaching with variation characterizes the mathematics teaching in China and by adopting teaching with variation, even with large classes, students still can actively involve themselves in the process of learning and achieve excellent results.