A Review Research on Mathematics Picture Books by Dr. Zhang Qiaoping and His Doctoral Student Makes Edutopia’s Top 10 Significant Education Studies of 2023
At the close of 2023, a pivotal review paper co-authored by Dr. Zhang Qiaoping (MIT), Dr. Sun Jin (Associate Professor at the University of Macau), and Ms. Yeung Wing-ying (an EdD student at MIT), received recognition from the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Their work, titled “Effects of Using Picture Books in Mathematics Teaching and Learning: A Systematic Literature Review from 2000–2022,” published in the Review of Education, was selected by Edutopia as one of the 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2023.
Source: https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-most-significant-education-studies-2023
The influential article provides a comprehensive review of the studies regarding the use of picture books in mathematics instruction over the past two decades (2000–2022). It critically evaluates the approaches of integrating picture books into mathematics teaching and learning, the overall effects on students’ mathematical performance, and the factors that could potentially enhance or inhibit these effects.
The study reveals that the integration of picture books into mathematics instruction positively influences students’ attitudes toward mathematics, academic achievement, and mathematical representation abilities. However, the effectiveness of the integration is often hindered by teacher’s limited pedagogical knowledge and confidence, time constraints, insufficient resources, and concerns about anticipated outcomes. In addition, the research posits that the early educational stage (especially preschool), perceived pedagogical benefits, a desire to improve teaching and learning, and supportive social norms are key factors that amplify the benefits of integrating picture books with mathematics education.
Dr. Zhang Qiaoping, renowned for his commitment to advancing mathematics education through research, emphasises the importance of educational studies in guiding and influencing educational practices. This review study also highlights the profound potential of using picture books in mathematics education and offers tangible guidelines for schoolteachers, policymakers, curriculum designers, and researchers in cultivating students’ 21st-century skills and contributing to reforms and advancements in mathematics education.
For more information, please visit https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-most-significant-education-studies-2023.
Full-Text Link: Zhang, Q., Sun, J., & Yeung, W. Y. (2023). Effects of using picture books in mathematics teaching and learning: A systematic literature review from 2000–2022. Review of Education, 11(1), e3383. https://doi-org.ezproxy.eduhk.hk/10.1002/rev3.3383
