Mathematics Teacher Education

Mathematics teacher education includes the mathematics content teachers need to understand, ways that pedagogical approaches are developed, messages about the nature of mathematics teaching and learning, and interfaces between tertiary preparation and school contexts. Scholars from Sweden, France, Malawi, Singapore, New Zealand, Brazil, the USA, and Canada provide insights for the mathematics education community’s understanding of how teacher educators structure, develop, and implement their respective mathematics teacher education programs. Several themes emerged across the chapters, including: varied approaches to developing culturally responsive pedagogies and/or Indigenous perspectives; issues and challenges in fostering partnerships and collaborations; strategies for developing mathematics knowledge for teaching; and preparing flexible and resourceful teachers. Praise for International Perspectives on Mathematics Teacher Education: "International Perspectives on Mathematics Teacher Education explores different facets of mathematics teacher education in eight countries across five continents. The authors and editors answer important questions and open the door to critical conversations about policies and practices related to mathematics teacher recruitment, preparation, and professional development, among other topics. Every reader will develop new perspectives as they learn how one institution is engaging with Indigenous perspectives while other countries struggle with an insufficient supply of certified teachers. This book clearly demonstrates challenges, constraints, nuances and complexities to initiating and maintaining improvement across systems to enhance the work and spaces of mathematics teachers within different historical, cultural, social, and political contexts. This volume also generates ideas and opportunities for leaders, policymakers, and teacher educators to consider and learn from international colleagues about different approaches to mathematics teacher education practice and policy. Undoubtedly, debates about standards, content and experiences in programs, and accountability structures such as accreditation will continue. It is clear from the insights in this volume that strengthening mathematics teacher education will require stronger collaborations, frameworks, policies, infrastructure, and investments on a global scale and it will be critical to collaborate with and learn from colleagues in international settings. These conversations will require reciprocity, interdependence, and resilience as we pursue the ultimate goal of equipping the field of mathematics teacher education." Kathryn Chval Dean, College of Education Professor of Mathematics Education University of Illinois Chicago

Mathematics teacher education has a critical role to play in preparing teachers to put at center stage goals to support equity in mathematics education and to diversify student interest and participation in mathematics. These goals must also resonate with broader public interest goals to improve educational and social conditions both in the U.S. and abroad. The Mathematics Teacher Education in the Public Interest book aims to support mathematics teacher educators to prepare teachers with new knowledge and skills to support all students to learn mathematics and to become informed, engaged, and critical citizens within their community, nation, and world. While internationally there is considerable interest among mathematics educators in issues of equity and social justice, the literature on mathematics teacher education for equity and social justice thus far has been very limited.The book provides theoretical discussions on the need for equity and social justice emphases in mathematics teacher education, as well as practical examples from mathematics teacher educators, documenting their own professional efforts to center practices on equity and social justice. Section emphases include critical perspectives on mathematics teacher education, the use of equity and social justice-themed activities in mathematics teacher preparation courses, and issues of identity and community and cultural contexts in mathematics teacher education. In addition syntheses of major ideas of the book are offered by experienced researchers.

Tasks in Primary Mathematics Teacher Education is intended to advance relevant research and innovative international practices in the preparation and professional development of mathematics teachers. Emerging from discussion at the ICMI study on teacher professional development, this volume, focused on primary and elementary teachers, culls a richness that can only be found by gathering wisdom from varied experiences around the world. The choice of tasks, and the associated pedagogies, is a key aspect of teaching and learning mathematics. Arguing that what students learn is largely defined by the tasks they are given, several major themes are presented. One such major strand, the form, function and focus of tasks, is discussed throughout several chapters, offering analysis, discussion of implementation, and exemplars of a broader category of illustrative techniques for developing critical understanding.

This book examines the various areas of mathematics education and neighboring disciplines that have recently contributed to a better understanding of the still vague construct of diagnostic competence. The work addresses the nature, development and effect of diagnostic competence in mathematics instruction, with a focus on the professional development of teachers.

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.

Ask mathematicians to describe mathematics and they' ll use words like playful, beautiful, and creative. Pose the same question to students and many will use words like boring, useless, and even humiliating. Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You' d Had, author Tracy Zager helps teachers close this gap by making math class more like mathematics. Zager has spent years working with highly skilled math teachers in a diverse range of settings and grades and has compiled those' ideas from these vibrant classrooms into' this game-changing book. Inside you' ll find: ' How to Teach Student-Centered Mathematics:' Zager outlines a problem-solving approach to mathematics for elementary and middle school educators looking for new ways to inspire student learning Big Ideas, Practical Application:' This math book contains dozens of practical and accessible teaching techniques that focus on fundamental math concepts, including strategies that simulate connection of big ideas; rich tasks that encourage students to wonder, generalize, hypothesize, and persevere; and routines to teach students how to collaborate Key Topics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers:' Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You' d Had' offers fresh perspectives on common challenges, from formative assessment to classroom management for elementary and middle school teachers No matter what level of math class you teach, Zager will coach you along chapter by chapter. All teachers can move towards increasingly authentic and delightful mathematics teaching and learning. This important book helps develop instructional techniques that will make the math classes we teach so much better than the math classes we took.

This Open Access book is an excellent synthesis of the initial and continuing preparation for Mathematics Teaching in Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru, from which comparative analyses can be made that show similarities and differences, and highlight various perspectives. In February 2016, the 5th Capacity and Networking Project (CANP) workshop of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) was held in Lima, Peru. The coordination of this two-week workshop was undertaken by an international scientific committee (IPC), with equal participation by mathematicians and mathematics educators from the region and from the international ICMI and IMU community. The goal of CANP5 was to improve the quality of mathematics education in the region, which led to the main theme of the scientific program “Initial and Continued Teacher Education”. Country Reports on the main theme of teacher education systems for each country in this region were presented and discussed to detect common issues that might be improved through a collaborative network. One of the most important results of this event was the creation of a Mathematics Education Network, namely the Comunidad de Educación Matemática de America del Sur – CEMAS. This book brings to the international Educational Community an important collection of experiences and ideas in the Mathematics Education of four Latin-American countries in the developing Andean region and Paraguay. The dissemination of these results can promote the search for international collaborative actions in a wider scale.

Research in mathematics teacher education as a distinctive field of inquiry has grown substantially over the past 10-15 years. Within this field there is emerging interest in how mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) themselves learn and develop. Until recently there were few published studies on this topic, and the processes by which mathematics teacher educators learn, and the forms of knowledge they require for effective practice, had not been systematically investigated. However, researchers in mathematics education are now beginning to investigate the development of MTE expertise and associated issues. This volume draws on the latest research and thinking in this area is therefore timely to stimulate future development and directions. It will survey the emerging field of inquiry in mathematics education, combining the work of established scholars with perspectives of newcomers to the field, with the aim of influencing development of the field, invite cross-cultural comparisons in becoming a mathematics teacher educator by highlighting issues in the development of MTEs in different countries, and examine the roles of both mathematics educators and mathematicians in preparing future teachers of mathematics. The primary audience will be university-based mathematics teacher educators and MTE researchers, and postgraduate research students who are seeking academic careers as MTEs. Additional interest may come from teacher educators in disciplines other than mathematics, and education policy makers responsible for accreditation and quality control of initial teacher education programs.