In comparison, Shanghai had only one major curriculum document, the Shanghai Elementary and
Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum Standards (Shanghai Educational Committee, 2004). This
document was divided into two parts. The first part outlined the theoretical framework and the aims and
objectives. It also outlined the structures and implementation of the general, primary, and secondary
education in Shanghai. The second part was subdivided into five sections: a) introduction to the
theoretical framework of the curriculum, b) aims and objectives, c) curriculum design d) content and
demand, and e) curriculum implementation. Unlike the Malaysian mathematics curriculum specifications,
the Shanghai’s curriculum standard divided the content according to five key stages: a) primary grades
1-2, b) primary grades 3-5, c) middle school grades 6-7, d) middle school grades 8-9, and e) high school
grades 10-12. For each key stage, the content was further divided into two sections: basic and extension.
The extension section covered the same content area as the basic section, but each content area was
extended in breath and depth. Each area/topic was displayed in a table with two columns. One column
listed the learning content and the other displayed the detailed content demand and suggestions of
teaching activities. Teachers and students were encouraged to teach and to learn the extended content
through various innovative and creative activities, such as investigation projects, solving daily life
problems, mathematical puzzles and games, as well as history of mathematics