New study explores how experienced chinese teachers notice students’ mathematics learning

The conceptualization of teacher noticing has been evolving along with developments in educational practice. The currently widely accepted conceptualization of teacher noticing includes two key components: attending and interpreting. However, research has pointed out that teacher noticing also involves a third component, the boundary of noticing, which concerns how teachers respond to their observations. Building on this view, a new study, made available online on May 21, 2025 and published in Volume 8, Issue 3 of ECNU Review of Education in August 2025, examines teacher noticing through three components—attending, interpreting, and decision making.

A variety of research suggests that teachers can manifest various noticing competencies and teachers’ noticing abilities can be enhanced through consistent intervention. Most studies investigating teacher noticing in class are still based on Western contexts or focus on preservice teachers’ noticing.

“In this present study, we concentrate on two primary school mathematics teachers from China who engaged in the Learning from Lessons project,” explain Zhang et al. These two teachers are also in service.

The researchers collected data on the teachers’ adaptation of the provided lesson plan, the teachers’ reflective thoughts about the lesson and their actions during the lesson, and the respective consequences for the planning and teaching of the follow-up lesson. Through data analysis, the study found that although the two teachers had different areas of focus, both of them engaged in practical adaptations to help their students overcome challenges.

Neither teacher exhibited impatience or dismissed the students’ mathematical struggles or errors. “Instead, they demonstrated a commitment to understanding and engaging with students’ problems, aiming to foster a classroom atmosphere where students feel safe to make mistakes,” Zhang et al. note.

The study reveals that the Chinese primary school mathematics teachers are not only capable of identifying students’ challenges but also of consciously offering interpretations and, in particular, implementing adaptive strategies in their practice, which invites further reflection on the extent to which teachers should enact their adaptations and intended adaptations in practice in order to improve teaching.

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Reference
DOI: 10.1177/20965311251318366

Funding information
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by Guangdong Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science [Project number: GD21YJY18].