With the ninth edition of the four-yearly review of mathematics education research in Australasia, the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) discusses the Australasian research in mathematics education in the four years from 2012-2015. This review aims to critically promote quality research and focus on the building of research capacity in Australasia.
This book examines the current state of the field of mathematics pre-service teacher education through the theme of borders. Borders are ubiquitous; they can be used to define, classify, organize, make sense of, and/or group. There are many ways that the concept of a border illuminates the field of mathematics pre-service teacher education. Consequently, there are a multitude of responses to these borders: researchers and practitioners question, challenge, cross, blur, and erase them. Chapters include the following topics: explorations of mathematics across topics (e.g., geometry, algebra, probability) and with other disciplines (e.g., science, the arts, social sciences); challenging gender, cultural, and racial borders; exploring the structure and curriculum of teacher education programs; spaces inhabited by teacher education programs (e.g., university, community); and international collaborations and programs to promote cross-cultural sharing and learning. The book targets a readership of researchers and graduate students in integrated education studies, teacher education, practitioners of mathematics education, curriculum developers, and educational administrators and policy makers.
Personal story telling is a powerful and interesting medium through which one can share experiences, insights, successes, and difficulties in meaningful contexts. Teaching in general, and mathematics teaching in particular, is much more than what meets the eye. Most people have only experienced teaching from the vantage point of a student and have impressions of teachers and teaching that are simplistic and usually totally incorrect. The lives of mathematics teachers are varied and contrary to what one might think they are. The journeys of exemplary in-service teachers are not linear; there are many bends, potholes, and detours through which they have navigated. The "road conditions" of teaching are fodder for the 12 untold stories collected in this volume, whose authors graduated from a special four-year undergraduate mathematics teacher preparation program, containing innovative components, many of which are revealed through the experiences described in their stories. The range of narratives vary in every possible way, from the reasons they became mathematics teachers, to the number of years teaching, to the experiences encountered while teaching, to the different roles they have assumed throughout their careers. Nevertheless, one strand permeates all of the stories: their passion for what they do and their ability to reflect on early college experiences that contribute to their performance. These inspiring narratives will shed light on the developmental processes of mathematics teachers, what it means to teach mathematics, and the components of a secondary mathematics teacher preparation program that can contribute to their expertise. Praise for The Inspirational Untold Stories of Secondary Mathematics Teachers: This lovely book contains personal stories about the process of becoming a mathematics teacher and the challenges and rewards of the early years of teaching. These stories highlight that the path to teaching is often indirect, rocky, and filled with doubts. But these poignant stories are powerful because they are so honest. I wish I’d read these stories before I experienced some of the joys and challenges of my early years of teaching because they would have prepared me for the roller coaster of emotion associated with entering this complex but beautiful profession. I think these stories will be helpful when working with prospective and early career teachers. Randolph Philipp Professor of Mathematics Education School of Teacher Education, San Diego State University Immediate Past President, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) This is a book about real people and true stories; the narratives are really insightful and truly inspirational. It is not only a book that those involved in teacher preparation programs may find useful and informative to read, but also a book that could provide insights and inspiration to those who are exploring what it is like to be a teacher. The journey of each of these success stories, despite the diverse starting point of each, speaks volumes of the importance of an effective teacher preparation program that not only nurtures but also provides support for the growth of the preservice teachers. The narratives in this book are certainly a testimonial to what we often hear–Teachers are more often made than born. Ngan Hoe Lee Associate Professor, Mathematics & Mathematics Education National Institute of Education, Singapore
This volume shares and discusses significant new trends and developments in research and practices related to various aspects of preparing prospective secondary mathematics teachers from 2005–2015. It provides both an overview of the current state-of-the-art and outstanding recent research reports from an international perspective. The authors completed a thorough review of the literature by examining major journals in the field of mathematics education, and other journals related to teacher education and technology. The systematic review includes four major themes: field experiences; technologies, tools and resources; teachers' knowledge; and teachers' professional identities. Each of them is presented regarding theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and major findings. Then the authors discuss what is known in the field and what we still need to know related to the major topics.
The premise of the 15th ICMI Study is that teachers are key to students' opportunities to learn mathematics. What teachers of mathematics know, care about, and do is a product of their experiences and socialization, together with the impact of their professional education. The Professional Education and Development of Teachers of Mathematics assembles important new international work- development, research, theory and practice - concerning the professional education of teachers of mathematics. As it examines critical areas to reveal what is known and what significant questions and problems warrant collective attention, the volume also contributes to the strengthening of the international community of mathematics educators. The Professional Education and Development of Teachers of Mathematics is of interest to the mathematics education community as well as to other researchers, practitioners and policy makers concerned with the professional education of teachers.
While the importance of knowledge for effective instruction has long been acknowledged, and the concept and structure of mathematics knowledge for teaching are far from being new, the process of such knowledge acquisition and improvement remains underexplored empirically and theoretically. The difficulty can well associate with the fact that different education systems embody different values for what mathematics teachers need to learn and how they can be assisted to develop their knowledge. To improve this situation with needed consideration about a system context and policies, How Chinese Acquire and Improve Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching takes a unique approach to present new research that views knowledge acquisition and improvement as part of teachers’ life-long professional learning process in China. The book includes such chapters that can help readers to make possible connections of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching in China with educational policies and program structures for mathematics teacher education in that system context. How Chinese Acquire and Improve Mathematics Knowledge for Teaching brings invaluable inspirations and insights to mathematics educators and teacher educators who wish to help teachers improve their knowledge, and to researchers who study this important topic beyond a static knowledge conception.
Discusses topics of central importance in the secondary school mathematics curriculum, including functions, polynomials, trigonometry, exponential and logarithmic functions, number and operation, and measurement. This volume is primarily intended as the text for a bridge or capstone course for pre-service secondary school mathematics teachers.
The impact of digital technologies in education has called for teachers to be prepared to facilitate their students’ learning through communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. In order to create ideal learning environments for their students, teachers must develop a more integrated knowledge for infusing digital technologies as learning tools, a knowledge referred to as TPACK. The Handbook of Research on TPACK in the Digital Age provides innovative insights into teacher preparation for the effective integration of digital technologies into the classroom. The content within this publication represents the work of online learning, digital technologies, and pedagogical strategies. It is designed for teachers, educational designers, instructional technology faculty, administrators, academicians, and education graduate students, and covers topics centered on classroom technology integration and teacher knowledge and support.
The audience remains much the same as for the 1992 Handbook, namely, mathematics education researchers and other scholars conducting work in mathematics education. This group includes college and university faculty, graduate students, investigators in research and development centers, and staff members at federal, state, and local agencies that conduct and use research within the discipline of mathematics. The intent of the authors of this volume is to provide useful perspectives as well as pertinent information for conducting investigations that are informed by previous work. The Handbook should also be a useful textbook for graduate research seminars. In addition to the audience mentioned above, the present Handbook contains chapters that should be relevant to four other groups: teacher educators, curriculum developers, state and national policy makers, and test developers and others involved with assessment. Taken as a whole, the chapters reflects the mathematics education research community's willingness to accept the challenge of helping the public understand what mathematics education research is all about and what the relevance of their research fi ndings might be for those outside their immediate community.
