Due to the importance of length measurement learning (e.g. Barrett, Clements, & Sarama, 2017), we want to deepen the understanding of similarities and differences on it in different countries. Starting with the comparative analysis of Lee & Smith III (2011) between the US and Singapore, we analyzed the similarities and differences in Taiwanese and German elementary written textbooks concerning the treatment of length understanding, measurement, and estimation.
The length measurement units of four German elementary textbook series and three from Taiwan form the corpus of analysis. In applying the coding scheme of Lee and Smith III (2011) to our data, we added BL (benchmark learning) and CS (curvy vs. straight line) as conceptual categories, and RJ (reasoning and justification) as a category linking between conception, procedure, metacognition, and language.
Nearly the same time for teaching length is intended in both countries. As in other countries, procedural affordances dominate the conceptual learning situations in both countries, a tendency which was stronger for the German than the Taiwanese textbook series.
Although units can be converted, reasoning and justification and benchmark learning were the most common conceptual elements in both countries, their importance differed. The Taiwanese textbooks mainly stressed the idea of conversion, whereas the German textbooks focused more on benchmark learning. The comparison of procedural elements showed that both countries very often focused on unit conversion, measuring with a ruler, and addition and subtraction of length. In the Taiwanese textbooks more tasks asked for direct comparison and measurement with nonstandard units, whereas the German textbooks stressed visual estimation.