Middle Grade Teachers Mathematical Knowledge And Its Relationship To Instruction

The outcome of a two-year investigation, this book shows how teachers' understanding of the mathematics of number, quantity, and proportion influences how they teach and what their students learn of the concepts, skills, and reasoning associated with this mathematical domain of knowledge. It grew out of the recognition of the need to understand the complexities of helping teachers reconceptualize the mathematics they teach and the resulting effects in their classrooms. The book includes case studies of five teachers, from different types of school settings, illustrating changes in the teachers' teaching methods, expectations of students, and beliefs about the role of professional development.

The outcome of a two-year investigation, this book shows how teachers' understanding of the mathematics of number, quantity, and proportion influences how they teach and what their students learn of the concepts, skills, and reasoning associated with this mathematical domain of knowledge. It grew out of the recognition of the need to understand the complexities of helping teachers reconceptualize the mathematics they teach and the resulting effects in their classrooms. The book includes case studies of five teachers, from different types of school settings, illustrating changes in the teachers' teaching methods, expectations of students, and beliefs about the role of professional development.

During the last decade there were significant advances in the study of students' learning and problem solving in mathematics, and in the study of classroom instruction. Because these two research programs usually have been conducted individually, it is generally agreed now that there is an increasing need for an integrated research program. This book represents initial discussions and development of a unified paradigm for studying teaching in mathematics that builds upon both cognitive as well as instructional research.

This book presents a coherent collection of research studies on teacher knowledge and its relation to instruction and learning in middle-grades mathematics. The authors provide comprehensive literature reviews on specific components of mathematics knowledge for teaching that have been found to be important for effective instruction.

Mathematics Education in the Middle Grades: Teaching to Meet the Needs of Middle Grades Learners and to Maintain High Expectations In September 1998, the Math Science Education Board National held a Convocation on Middle Grades Mathematics that was co-sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Middle School Association, and the American Educational Research Association. The Convocation was structured to present the teaching of middle school mathematics from two points of view: teaching mathematics with a focus on the subject matter content or teaching mathematics with a focus on the whole child and whole curriculum. This book discusses the challenges before the nation's mathematical sciences community to focus its energy on the improvement of middle grades mathematics education and to begin an ongoing national dialogue on middle grades mathematics education.

This book is written primarily for middle grade teachers who are discovering that they now want to teach in ways that create positive mathematical learning environments and instigate rich classroom discourse. Many of these teachers are finding that their mathematical preparation did not address the complexities underlying the mathematics they now want to teach. In Part One, the authors provide a foundation for the mathematics of these grades, particularly the mathematics that grows out of concepts of number, quantity, and arithmetic operations. In Part Two, through three case studies, the authors demonstrate to teachers how a deeper understanding of the mathematics they teach can enhance classroom instruction. The book interweaves research and classroom practice. Mathematics teacher educators, researchers, curriculum developers, textbook authors, and supervisors of mathematics programs will find this book to be useful. Teachers, both prospective and practicing, will benefit most from this book when the chapters are used as catalysts for discussion in classes or professional development programs.

Now is a time of great interest in mathematics education. Student performance, curriculum, and teacher education are the subjects of much scrutiny and debate. Studies on the mathematical knowledge of prospective and practicing U. S. teachers suggest ways to improve their mathematical educations. It is often assumed that because the topics covered in K-12 mathematics are so basic, they should be easy to teach. However, research in mathematics education has shown that to teach well,substantial mathematical understanding is necessary--even to teach whole-number arithmetic. Prospective teachers need a solid understanding of mathematics so that they can teach it as a coherent, reasoned activity and communicate its elegance and power. This volume gathers and reports current thinkingon curriculum and policy issues affecting the mathematical education of teachers. It considers two general themes: (1) the intellectual substance in school mathematics; and (2) the special nature of the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching. The underlying study was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The mathematical knowledge needed for teaching is quite different from that required by students pursuing other mathematics-related professions. Material here is gearedtoward stimulating efforts on individual campuses to improve programs for prospective teachers. This report contains general recommendations for all grades and extensive discussions of the specific mathematical knowledge required for teaching elementary, middle, and high-school grades, respectively.It is also designed to marshal efforts in the mathematical sciences community to back important national initiatives to improve mathematics education and to expand professional development opportunities. The book will be an important resource for mathematics faculty and other parties involved in the mathematical education of teachers. Information for our distributors: This series is published in cooperation with the Mathematical Association of America.

Understanding the knowledge that teachers must bring to their classrooms is critical to the advancement of the field of teacher education. Understanding how teacher knowledge impacts various aspects of teacher practice is also critical. Understanding the interplay between teacher knowledge and practice, and consequently the result that this relationship has on student learning is most important. This dissertation attempts to advance our collective understanding of the complex relationship between teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student learning in the field of elementary mathematics. Four third-grade teachers were followed as they taught a subset of lessons in a unit on fractions. The study first investigates the types of knowledge that the teachers brought to their classrooms. Then, an examination is conducted of the way in which these types of knowledge impacted their teaching practice. Finally, the student learning that resulted over the course of these lessons is discussed. This study supports the widespread belief that teacher knowledge is important to instruction. The descriptions of the case study teachers highlight that their varying levels of knowledge resulted in unique aspects of practice being emphasized in their classrooms. This dissertation documents the differences in teaching practice and the trade-offs that produce differences in student learning. Interesting student learning patterns emerged, based on qualitative student interviews. Medium students from classrooms in which teachers focused for more sustained periods on mathematical concepts seemed to demonstrate greater procedural fluency and deeper conceptual understanding than their peers in the other classrooms. Low students in classrooms where fluency was the focus seemed to show slightly greater procedural fluency, though less conceptual understanding, than their peers in the classrooms that spent more time on concepts. High students showed no appreciable difference across all classrooms. This study adds to the field by introducing a new construct, the conceptual threshold, to offer an explanation of these student learning trends.