The present research aims at exploring the effectiveness of spiral bianshi mathematics curriculum on the teaching of speed and circumference to Primary 6 students in Hong Kong. Cognitive and affective learning outcomes, together with students’ beliefs are investigated. Teaching materials of these two topics are designed basing on the framework of spiral bianshi mathematics curriculum and were implemented in three primary schools in Hong Kong. The effectiveness of the curriculum was investigated with a pre-test/post-test, experimental/control group design. Preliminary analyses of the cognitive learning outcomes revealed that the students using the bianshi curriculum and teaching materials performed better than their counterparts. The experimental group also showed more positive attitude in some of the affective variables, though such changes did not happen in all the affective components. The experimental group also showed more positive attitude in some of the affective components. Further statistical analyses could be performed to see why the improvement was not as prominent as expected. A possible further analysis could be, by separating those who had sizable improvement with those who had not, we may attempt to identify the characteristics of students, to see who benefit most (in the affective domain) from the bianshi curriculum. It is hoped that these qualitative data would help unveil the secret of the learning process that leads to the desirable learning results.
[Copyright © 2010 Anna Mei-Yan Chan, Ngai-Ying Wong & Chi-Chung Lam.]