TAKING A LOOK AT CHINESE PEDAGOGY IN SHUXUE [MATHEMATICS]: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURES TO APPROACH ARITHMETIC AT FIRST AND SECOND ITALIAN PRIMARY CLASSES

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze two cases of task design about straws and word problems in different cultural traditions (the Eastern and Western one). By means of two paradigmatic examples developed in Italy, we aim at showing, on the one hand, the effects and advantages of intercultural dialogue and, on the other hand, the need to take into account and to respect culturally rooted pedagogies, avoiding uncritical transfer from one culture to another. This perspective implies a reciprocal respect of the different approach modalities and hence a continuous back and forth between the practical and the deeply related theoretical dimension