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In China, preschool curriculum has undergone reform and profound changes. Much remains unknown, however, regarding preschool teachers' teaching beliefs after 30 years of curriculum reform and adaptation. This study aimed to address the issue and investigate teachers' beliefs concerning teaching mathematics. Twelve preschool teachers in China participated in the study: they watched videos of mathematics lessons conducted in the US and were interviewed with questions regarding the lessons. Qualitative analysis was then applied; themes were searched from the participants' responses. The study revealed that Chinese preschool teachers acknowledged the features of (a) active learning, (b) involving every child, and (c) connecting lessons with everyday activities. However, they believed that their own teaching would be more purposeful: they would choose a specific content focus, use a series of steps, and make explicit summary at the end. The study also revealed Chinese preschool teachers' solid specialized content knowledge in mathematics.

Research Findings: An effective quality rating system will lead to quality assurance and improvement of early childhood education programs. Many studies have been conducted to examine the validity of quality rating instruments in Western countries, but few have been done in China. The present study investigated the effectiveness of the Beijing Kindergarten Quality Rating System (BKQRS) by conducting onsite observations in 5 Demonstration, 5 R1C1, and 4 R2C2 kindergartens using the Chinese Kindergarten Environment Rating Scale (CKERS) as the criterion. Results indicated that none of the 3 types of kindergartens performed well on the CKERS. Although Demonstration and R1C1 kindergartens performed better than R2C2 kindergartens, there was no significant difference between Demonstration and R1C1 kindergartens. Results indicated that the BKQRS failed to gauge the quality levels of various kindergartens as accurately as was expected. Practice or Policy: Suggestions for improvement are discussed, and implications for other cultural contexts--such as insights for developing culturally appropriate quality assurance practices--are addressed. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure and 1 footnote.)