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Hong Kong has launched reforms to advocate child-centred pedagogies in kindergartens since 2000. This study examined the actual pedagogical interactions in eight kindergarten classrooms via videotaped observations. The teachers were surveyed before the observation and interviewed after receiving the observational report. Evidence revealed that the Hong Kong teachers used various scaffolding strategies to maintain a reciprocal interaction, and teacher-directed instruction dominated the pedagogical interactions. Most teachers had a positive attitude towards teacher–child interactions, yet traditional beliefs persisted. Teachers' pedagogical interactions were associated with their age, years of teaching experience and educational level, but not with the age group they taught. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parent's epistemological beliefs about the nature of mathematics were not related to how often children engaged with numeracy activities at home. • Parents' dynamic belief about the nature of mathematics were positively related to their use of indirect teaching strategies. • Frequency of home numeracy activities and parents' use of indirect teaching strategies were linked with children's numeracy abilities through numeracy interest. • This study demonstrated the importance of helping parents to appreciate the dynamic nature of mathematics, and of coaching parents how to guide children's numeracy learning. Many existing home numeracy models focus only on the roles of home activities in children's numeracy abilities. Parents' beliefs, teaching strategies, and children's numeracy interest are seldom considered. As such, this study investigated the relations between parents' epistemological beliefs about mathematics, how often children engaged with numeracy activities at home, parents' use of indirect teaching strategies, children's early interest and ability in numeracy. Three hundred twenty-seven Hong Kong kindergarteners and their parents participated in the study. After controlling for the children's gender, age, non-verbal intelligence and language abilities, results showed that parents' dynamic beliefs about the nature of mathematics were associated with their use of indirect teaching strategies. The frequency of home numeracy activities and parents' use of indirect teaching strategies were linked with children's numeracy abilities through numeracy interest. Our findings demonstrate the importance of helping parents to appreciate the dynamic nature of mathematics, and of coaching parents how to guide children's numeracy learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]