ABSTRACT

“Two Basics Mathematics Teaching”（TBMT）is to attach importance to the basic knowledge and basic skills of mathematics teaching.TBMT is a teaching system, which mainly contains five elements including the concepts of teachers and students, teaching purpose, teaching content, teaching method and teaching evaluation.This system exists in a certain environment with the elements of the system interacting with each other to form a stable structure. TBMT is also a teaching theory, which has a long history of development. According to the time dimension of political history and the system of educational history, it has undergone four historical periods:the budding period of TBMT thought, the foundation period of TBMT system, the shaping period of TBMT institution, and the innovation period of TBMT under the new era background.

TBMT is a traditional characteristic of mathematics teaching in our country.Under the background of attaching importance to“Four Basics”and emphasizing“Key Competences”in elementary school mathematics teaching, some scholars think that TBMT is still the quintessence of mathematics teaching in our country.Some scholars also think that TBMT cannot keep pace with the time.Based on the perspective of historical research, this study objectively combs the historical track of the development of TBMT in China, sums up its evolution law rationally according to the path dependence analysis method, and deeply analyzes the reasons for its evolution, in order to better understand the“background”of TBMT, respond to the major problems in the theory and practice of primary mathematics education in our country, and provide reference for the construction of mathematics curriculum and teaching practice in elementary schools in China.

This study mainly uses three research methods, namely, historical analysis method, path dependence analysis method and system theory method, to solve four main research problems.These four problems echo the historical stages mentioned above, which respectively are:How does TBMT thought germinate? How to establish TBMT system? How does TBMT institution take shape? Under the background of the new era, how to innovate TBMT?

Chapter 4 responds to the first research question and traces back to the germination of TBMT.The research shows that the thought of TBMT has a long history under the influence of the traditional educational thought.During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, the emphasis on the teaching of“Zheng Ming”laid the foundation for the thought of“attaching importance to basic knowledge”，while the teaching of“skill”was emphasized in the Han dynasty, which laid the foundation for the thought of“attaching importance to basic skills”.Since then, TBMT thought has sprout, which has showed the core characteristics of attaching the importance of“fundamentality”“practicability”and“mastery”.This feature has a profound influence on the development of TBMT.

Chapter 5 responds to the second research question, analyzing the establishment of TBMT system.The study shows that:during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, TBMT system is formed initially.The system includes the concepts of teachers and students, teaching purpose, teaching content, teaching method and teaching evaluation.During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the system further developed and improved.The foundation and perfection of TB-MT system in Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties laid the foundation for the construction of TBMT institution.

Chapter 6 is in response to the third research question, analyzing the formation of TBMT institution.“Kui-Mao System”was the first schooling education system released and implemented by government in modern China in 1904.In 1923, the minimum standard of teaching was mentioned in the institutional level, which formed the“basis”of TBMT in elementary school.In 1929, the institutional level first distinguished the two dimensions of knowledge and skill, which formed the“two”of TBMT in elementary school.In 1942, the keywords“basic knowledge and skill”first appeared in the institutional level, and“two”and“basics”were linked together.In 1952, the system first stipulated the category of primary mathematics“basic knowledge and skills”，which marked the formal institution formation of TBMT in primary school in China.The formation of the institution means that TBMT has entered a stable stage.

Chapter 7 is in response to the fourth research question, analyzing the innovation of TBMT under the background of the new era.The 21 st century is the era of knowledge economy.The international competition is focused on the competition of innovative talents, and TBMT in our country shows the phenomenon of“dissimilation”.Under such background, China is committed to promoting the development and innovation of TBMT through“curriculum reform”.“Three Dimensional Goals”were emphasized in“Mathematics Curriculum Standard for Fulltime Compulsory Education（Experimental draft）”in 2001.“Four Basics”were formally put forward in“Compulsory Education Mathematics Curriculum Standard（2011 edition）”in 2011.“Key Competences”came up in 2014 to implement the fundamental task of“build ethics and cultivate people”...From“Two Basics”to“Three Dimensional Goals”，“Four Basics”and“Key Competences”，the education concepts embody the breakthrough of“knowledge-oriented”to“student-oriented”，and emphasize the change from paying attention to students'“learning result”to“learning process”.

Chapter 8 explores the evolution law and its causes of TBMT on the basis of streamlining the previous four chapters on“historical track”according to the path dependence analysis method.The analysis shows that TBMT has been through four stages:path occurrence—path reinforcement—path dependence—path creation.The“initial conditions”promote the occurrence of TBMT in elementary school, and form“stable network structure”to promote the formulation of TBMT.There is obvious“inertia”（path dependence）in the evolution process of TBMT, and path creation is being realized through path breakthrough.

From a philosophical point of view, historical perspective is the view of materialistic dialectical vision.Dialectical materialism requires people to understand and grasp things from the universal connection and eternal development.From the perspective of historical research, this study examines the development of TBMT on the basis of combing the“historical track”（Chapter 4—Chapter 7）.This study analyzes the evolution law and causes of TBMT（Chapter 8）in order to form a correct attitude towards TBMT, guide the current practice of mathematics teaching, and make a reasonable prediction of the development trend of mathematics teaching in elementary schools in China.

Key words:TBMT in elementary schools; development; historical research; path dependence