Chinese culture, Islamic culture, and mathematics education

Abstract

In this talk, research on the influence of two major world cultures, namely the Chinese culture and the Islamic culture, on mathematics education will be discussed. These include the contributions of mathematicians from these cultures to mathematics, the influence of culture (e.g., language) on mathematics achievement, and instructional practices and teacher knowledge in mathematics in these two cultures. The talk will end by alluding to the differences between the teaching and learning of mathematics in these two cultures and that in the Western cultures, thus highlighting the role culture plays in mathematics education.