The open approach to teaching school mathematics in the United States is an outcome of the collaboration of Japanese and U. S. researchers. We examine the approach by illustrating its three aspects: 1) Open process (there is more than one way to arrive at the solution to a problem; 2) Open-ended problems (a problem can have several of many correct answers), and 3) What the Japanese call 'from problem to problem' or problem formulation (students draw on their own thinking to formulate new problems). Using our understanding of the Japanese open approach to teaching mathematics, we adapt selected methods to teach mathematics more effectively in the United States. Much of this approach is new to U. S. mathematics teachers, in that it has teachers working together in groups on lesson plans, and through a series of discussions and revisions, results in a greatly improved, effective plan. It also has teachers actively observing individual students or groups of students as they work on a problem, and then later comparing and discussing the students' work.

Ubiquitous errors in algebra like $(x+y)^2=x^2+y^2$ are a constant reminder that most students' manipulation of algebraic symbols has become detached from structural principles. The U.S. mathematics education community (NCTM, 2000) has responded by shying away from algebra as a structural study, preferring instead to ground meaning in empirical domains of reference. A new analysis of such errors shows that students' detachment from structural meaning stems from an inadequate structural curriculum, not from the inherent difficulty of adopting an abstract perspective on expressions and equations. A structural curriculum is outlined that preserves the possibility of students' engaging fully with algebra as both an empirical and a structural study.

Teaching of fractions is very challengeable for elementary and middle school teachers. Many teachers feel uncomfortable teaching the subject. How shall we introduce the concept of fractions? Shall we focus more on concept development or computational procedures and skills? What methodology can be used in teaching those important topics? These are the kind of questions many teachers and researchers try to answer. In this article, the authors are to look at this issue from a cross nation perspective, by examining how the Chinese mathematics curriculum and the Chinese teachers deal with this subject.

In this research, we interviewed primary school teachers and students with hypothetical situations questions and got a comprehensive picture of the status quo of what is happening in the new mathematics classrooms of Mainland China, that is, teachers' conceptions of mathematics and their teaching approaches influence the students' conceptions of mathematics to a large extent. For the teacher who emphasizes the precision and rigidity of mathematics, her students focus on the superficial characteristics of mathematics. On the contrary, for the teacher who believes that mathematics is an open process, related to real life and rich in content, her students are more interested in mathematics and have more diverse conceptions.

After reviewing China's appearance and research on the Math open-ended problems, together with the application of those problems in mathematics test of Shanghai Senior Middle School Entrance Exams (SSMSEE) since 1999, this paper points out the difficulty in establishing an evaluation system for such problem. Through comparative study, the paper gives an operational definition of open-ended problem, and it attempts to establish an evaluation system and non-systematic competence targets that are appropriate to Math open-ended problems. Meanwhile, it describes the performance feature of those targets. By applying the standard international grading system of difficulty, it discusses the elements of difficulty in Math open-ended problems, and puts forward an evaluation as well as a level-of-difficulty forecasting system that is appropriate to the Middle School Entrance Exam.

During World War II there was a statistical analysis conducted by the Allied analysts to estimate the German war productions, including their tank productions. This article revisits the analysis of the tank productions as a classroom activity format. Various reformed ideas are proposed in order to enhance students' perspectives of the point estimation. Comprehensive simulation works and actual classroom discussions will be provided along with the theoretical investigations.