A Comparative Study on the Exercises of "Linear Equation with One Unknown" in the Middle School Mathematics Textbooks between China and the United States Based on Core Literacy

With the introduction of the "Chinese Compulsory Education Mathematics Curriculum Standard" in 2022, the state attaches more importance to the cultivation of students' core literacy in mathematics, As an important tool for cultivating students' abilities, textbook exercises play a crucial role in cultivating students' core literacy. In the context of globalization, as a major national project, education should also strengthen international exchange and cooperation, and learn from the advanced experience of other countries. As a fundamental concept in mathematics, equations have a wide range of applications in daily life, it plays an important role in disciplines such as physics, economics, engineering, and biology. The linear equation with one unknown is the simplest equation in mathematics, and students' learning of linear equation with one unknown can cultivate their logical thinking and problem-solving abilities, laying a foundation for future algebra learning. Based on this, we selects the exercises in the chapter "Linear Equation with one unknown" of the Virginia edition of the U.S. junior high school mathematics textbook and the three Chinese mathematics textbooks editions, Zhejiang Education edition (ZJE), People's Education Press edition (PEP), and Beijing Normal University edition (BNU), as the objects of study, the types and levels of mathematical core literacy in the four editions of textbook exercises were compared. Through the comparative study, it is found that different editions of the textbooks focus on different types of mathematical core literacy, the exercises in the four editions of the textbooks pay more attention to mathematical arithmetic literacy and less attention to mathematical modeling literacy; the distribution proportion of the levels of the mathematical core literacy embodied in the exercises of each edition of the textbooks is different, but each edition focuses on different levels, and the levels of the core literacy embodied in each edition of the textbooks are in the relatively basic stage.