Belief-in-Field: Reconsider Beliefs of China’s Secondary Mathematics Teachers in a Bourdieuian Perspective

This paper critiques the prevalent view in existing belief literature where beliefs are understood as external representations of actors’ internal state of mind. I first propose a Bourdieuian framework, which reconceptualizes beliefs as a form of habitus—bodily dispositions shaped by persistent practices within a field. This reconsidered belief framework critiques traditional representationalist model by introducing a dispositional explanation of beliefs and recognizing their plasticity as conditional. The paper then presents an empirical study of Chinese secondary school mathematics teachers, examining the belief-in-field that "knowledge point is capital." It discusses how such beliefs direct classroom practices, forming a resistance to educational reforms, and are shaped by the inertia of field conditions. Despite teachers' propositional acceptance of progressive pedagogical ideologies like connectionism, their actual practice remains transmissionism, influenced by the educational field's symbolic violence and societal pressures. The article concludes by proposing directions for future research and reform. It suggests that meaningful educational change requires dialoguing with teachers' deep-seated, unconscious beliefs and addressing the structural inequalities inherent in the educational field. A re-evaluation of reform strategies is recommended, focusing on actual field conditions influencing teacher beliefs, moving away from an over-reliance on individualistic efforts and the fallacy of flexible beliefs adapting readily to arbitrary reform proposals.