Cultural diversity as a resource or an obstacle for teaching practices in multicultural milieu: Experience of a training course for Italian teachers about Chinese Shuxue

This contribution, examining the increasing presence at school of East-Asian students (Chinese in particular) and the related didactical complexity rising from the contemporary presence of Western and non Western cultural heritages, discusses some historical, epistemological and linguistic aspects of Chinese culture and the related Shuxue (Mathematics) education. These were presented to Italian teachers and educators during a training course organized by the authors with the aim of answering teachers’ needs (K-12) for training about the didactical problematic of teaching in multicultural milieu (in particular with Chinese students). The laboratory activities designed and implemented in an a…