More than Just Adding Subjects: Unpacking Secondary Mathematics Teachers’ Challenges in Implementing Interdisciplinary Thematic Learning under China’s 2022 Curriculum Reform

Abstract

China’s 2022 compulsory education curriculum reform mandates that no less than 10% of class hours be allocated to interdisciplinary thematic learning, marking a shift from subject-centered to competency-oriented education. However, empirical research on how secondary mathematics teachers perceive and struggle with this policy remains scarce, particularly under China’s examination-oriented system. Adopting a qualitative semi-structured interview approach, this study investigates the practical dilemmas of three junior secondary mathematics teachers in Zhejiang Province with 3, 8, and 15 years of experience. Grounded in an integrated theoretical framework (Beane, 1997; Guskey, 2002; Fullan, 2007), the research identifies five core themes. First, teachers face conceptual ambiguity between genuine interdisciplinary integration and superficial subject patching. Second, they express widespread pedagogical anxiety, especially regarding assessment of interdisciplinary outcomes. Third, they are restricted by structural constraints including time scarcity, fragmented schedules, resource shortages, and high-stakes examination pressure. Fourth, they suffer from collaborative isolation and inadequate leadership support. Fifth, they adopt pragmatic coping strategies that represent compromised compliance rather than authentic implementation. The results reveal that without systemic reform of the high-stakes examination system, even teachers with clear conceptual awareness cannot promote high-quality interdisciplinary instruction. This study enriches empirical literature on the policy-practice gap in China’s mathematics curriculum reform, provides implications for teacher professional development and assessment reform, and offers references for policymakers and international researchers engaged in curriculum integration.