This research examines how elementary school teachers in Taiwan have implemented the 1998 grades 1-9 curriculum reform within Mandarin instruction. The research focuses on teacher stated beliefs and practices about Mandarin literacy instruction, their actual classroom practices and the relation of those practices to government policy. Specific areas addressed include teacher philosophies of literacy learning, allocation of instructional time, literacy components, types of instructional practices and assessments, and materials and textbooks.

Through a qualitative research design, data were collected in one government elementary school in central Taiwan. Research focused on four Mandarin language instructors, two each in Grade 2 and Grade 4. The data were gathered for approximately 4.5 months from early September 2005 until January 2006 involving classroom observations twice a week. In addition to observations, data were also obtained through teacher interviews, review of teacher artifacts, grades 1-9 curriculum, and school-based curriculum.

The research found that the reform had changed most teachers' instructional approach to Mandarin instruction. Teachers generally employed a balanced approach to Mandarin instruction, blending skills and holistic instruction within the specific guidelines of the K-9 curriculum. Their instructional goal was to develop students' abilities of reading, listening, speaking, Chinese character recognition and writing, writing (composition) and phonetic symbols. The teachers primarily relied on direct instruction, with some use of small groups. They also relied heavily on the textbook and accompanying teacher's manual. Also, no integrated Language Arts instruction was observed. Teachers did promote students to read outside the classroom books of their own choosing.

KEYWORDS: Mandarin Literacy Instruction, Elementary Schools in Taiwan, The Grades 1-9 Curriculum Reform, Mandarin Teachers' Behavior, Classroom Practices