Research on Learners and Teachers of Mathematics and Science: Forerunners to a Focus on Teacher Educator Professional Growth

This introductory paper first reflects the genesis of research in mathematics and science teacher education. The analyses show a movement from foci of research in mathematics and science education from students to teachers, and then to teacher educators. Next, an overview of research in mathematics and science teacher education and its development is provided, including teacher educators’ growth. This is followed by a comparative look at the seven papers in this special issue through three lenses, focusing on who the teacher educators in these papers are, the practices which are the focus for development, and the contexts in which the professional growth is situated. The seven papers not only exemplify how teacher educators might critically and systematically reflect on their own growth, educate new teacher educators, and do corresponding research, but also demonstrate the considerable progress the research community has made with respect to the professional growth of mathematics and science teacher educators in the last decade. Finally, challenges and questions are raised, in particular in relation to raising the quality and quantity of proficient teacher educators in order to strengthen teacher education research, and to have enough human resources to offer more and better professional development opportunities and to support schools.

     

Less experienced mathematics teachers report what is wrong with their professional support system

Teachers with seven years of teaching experience or less (n = 10) participating in a large‐scale mathematics professional development program in the United States were interviewed. The goal of this qualitative study was to better understand less experienced teachers' reactions to professional development and professional support in the teaching profession. The interview data ­indicate that these less experienced mathematics teachers are not satisfied with their mentors orcollaboration in their department and would welcome opportunities for classroom observations. In addition, these teachers were disappointed and surprised at their more experienced peers' lack of mathematics content knowledge. The results of this study have direct implications for the structure and philosophy for professional development to better serve incoming and less experienced teachers.     

ICT use in the teaching of mathematics: Implications for professional development of pre-service teachers in Ghana

Included in the contemporary mathematics curricula in Ghana is the expectation that mathematics teachers will integrate technology in their teaching. However, importance has not been placed on preparing teachers to use ICT in their instruction. This paper reports on a study conducted to explore the feasibility of ICT use in mathematics teaching at senior high school levels in Ghana. Interviews and survey data were used for data collection. Preliminary results showed that mathematics teachers in Ghana do not integrate ICT in their mathematics instruction. Among the major perceived barriers identified were: Lack of knowledge about ways to integrate ICT in lesson and Lack of training opportunities for ICT integration knowledge acquisition. To overcome some of these barriers, opportunities of a professional development arrangement for pre-service mathematics teachers were explored. Findings from the study revealed specific features of a professional development scenario that matters for ICT integration in mathematics teaching in the context of Ghana.     

数字时代中的数学教材研究与开发及使用——第三届国际数学教材研究和发展会议综述

数学教材往往是数学课程发展、研究过程及整个数学教育史中最为可靠和重要的历史见证,对于"定义"作为学校科目的数学、为学生创设学习机会、为教师提供工作及专业发展上的支持,数学教材都发挥着举足轻重的作用。数学教材中的内容、开发及其使用已然成为数学教育研究的重要主题之一。通过对第三届国际数学教材研究和发展会议(ICMT3)的大会报告及主题研讨的介绍,对数字时代下的数学教材在设计、内容、使用及评价等提出新的思考,也进一步揭示出对理解教材在数学的教与学的作用存在更大更高的需求。     

Providing school-based learning in elementary school mathematics: the case of a professional development school partnership

Abstract

School–university partnerships also known as professional development school (PDS) partnerships provide potential for universities and schools to establish partnerships that can benefit university faculty, school teachers, university students, and school students. This study examines the impact of a PDS partnership in which the author served as a school-based mathematics coach for two years in a high-need elementary school. Data sources included interviews, surveys, and field notes from classroom observations. Inductive qualitative analyses which were situated in a multi-level framework for researching professional development found that teachers posed more cognitively demanding mathematical tasks and high-level questions in year two compared to year one of this project. Further, student achievement was noted on both state-wide and district-created assessments. Also teachers reported that the school-based approach to professional development led to some teachers taking on more informal leadership roles to support their colleagues’ mathematics instruction. Implications for school-based learning opportunities across the world include the need to establish specific university–school partnerships, and carefully designing research studies to examine the impact of these learning opportunities.     

Reinscribing urban: teaching high school mathematics in low income, urban communities of color

This article reports findings from a research and professional development project at two high schools located in low-income, urban communities of color. The project collaborates with teachers on improving their instructional practices, using a framework of culturally relevant mathematics pedagogy, which is described in detail here. We present results from a qualitative and quantitative analysis of mathematics instruction in 68 classroom observations of seven teachers. In particular, we use culturally relevant mathematics pedagogy as a lens through which to analyze instruction and the associated opportunities to learn mathematics provided to students.     

Professional development for rural and remote teachers using video conferencing

Teachers in rural and remote schools face many challenges including those relating to distance, isolation and lack of professional development opportunities. This article examines a project where mathematics and science teachers were provided with professional development opportunities via video conferencing to help them use syllabus documents to develop their teaching programs. The study is qualitative and draws on teacher conversations and surveys using a community of inquiry theoretical framework to analyse the data. The results demonstrate that teacher professional development via video conferencing has both strengths and weaknesses but can support teachers through collaboration to develop their expertise in writing teaching programs.     

Mathematics and Science Learning Opportunities in Preschool Classrooms

Research Findings: The present study observed and coded instruction in 65 preschool classrooms to examine (a) overall amounts and (b) types of mathematics and science learning opportunities experienced by preschool children as well as (c) the extent to which these opportunities were associated with classroom and program characteristics. Results indicated that children were afforded an average of 24 and 26 min of mathematics and science learning opportunities, respectively, corresponding to spending approximately 25% of total instructional time in each domain. Considerable variability existed, however, in the amounts and types of mathematics and science opportunities provided to children in their classrooms; to some extent, this variability was associated with teachers' years of experience, teachers' levels of education, and the socioeconomic status of children served in the program. Practice or Policy: Although results suggest greater integration of mathematics and science in preschool classrooms than previously established, there was considerable diversity in the amounts and types of learning opportunities provided in the preschool classrooms. Affording mathematics and science experiences to all preschool children as outlined in professional and state standards may require additional professional development aimed at increasing preschool teachers' understanding and implementation of learning opportunities in these 2 domains in their classrooms.     

What Teachers Take from Professional Development: Cases and Implications

In this article, we report on an 18-month longmathematics professional development projectwith elementary school teachers. Using a modelwe developed, three participant case studieswere analyzed with respect to not only theprofessional development milieu, but also howthese teachers interacted with the professionaldevelopment experience. In particular we foundthat having teachers reflect on new, authenticreform-oriented mathematics learningexperiences leads some teachers to take aninquiry stance concerning their own teaching,resulting in self-sustaining changes in theirmathematics instructional practices. Thisimplies that professional development forelementary mathematics teachers should includechallenging mathematics learning experiencescomplete with opportunities to reflect on personal and professional implications.     

Building the wall brick by brick: one prospective teacher’s experiences with mathematics anxiety

Mathematics education researchers have investigated mathematics anxiety in prospective elementary teachers. While many of these studies have focused on the bodily sensations and emotions of mathematics anxiety, particularly those felt in assessment situations, opportunities remain to investigate how prospective elementary teachers interpret their experiences with mathematics anxiety and connect them over time to compose personal histories of mathematics anxiety. Currently, over 90 % of elementary teachers in US schools are women, and women have been shown to suffer more from mathematics anxiety than do men. In this article, I analyze how one woman prospective elementary teacher described, explained, and related her experiences of mathematics anxiety across her personal narratives of learning mathematics as a K-12 student and of learning to teach mathematics as a college student in a teacher preparation program. My research demonstrates that experiences of mathematics anxiety may persist beyond assessment situations to influence women prospective elementary teachers’ larger mathematical histories. I also show that women prospective elementary teachers may interpret mathematics anxiety as specific fears (e.g., loss of opportunities for social participation) and may develop particular coping strategies related to those fears. Finally, I point out that while a coping strategy may be used consistently across K-12 mathematics learning and undergraduate teacher preparation, and may even offer a woman prospective elementary teacher some relief from mathematics anxiety, it may also limit her mathematics learning and professional development. To conclude, I present implications of my research for mathematics teacher educators.     

中国数学教师继续教育的发展轨迹与动态趋势——基于《数学教育学报》（1992—2018年）的文献计量与内容分析

继续教育关系教师的可持续发展和专业有效进阶.为描述数学教师继续教育的发展轨迹与动态趋势,以《数学教育学报》(1992-2018年)刊载的123篇数学教师继续教育文献为数据来源,以Note Express软件进行文献计量和内容分析.研究发现:年发文量缓慢上升,总发文量较少;高校教师形成核心作者群,呈现不同高校间的合作态势;研究内容聚焦继续教育的内涵与外延、现状、课程、途径、评价和教师专业发展等主题;研究方法以量化研究为主,质性研究和混合研究较少.后继研究应增强中小学教师的自我研究,拓宽继续教育的研究内容,倡导质性和量化相结合的混合方法.     

Effects of teacher professional learning activities on student achievement growth

The authors examined the effects of six types of teacher professional learning activities on student achievement growth over 4 years using statewide longitudinal survey data collected from 467 middle school mathematics teachers in 91 schools merged with 11,192 middle school students' mathematics scores in a standardized assessment in Missouri. The data showed that teacher-centered collaborative activities to learn about mathematics teaching and learning (teacher collaboration and informal communication) seem to be more effective in improving student mathematics achievement than learning activities that do not necessarily involve such teacher-centered collaborative opportunities (professional development programs, university courses, individual learning activities). Teacher-driven research activities through professional conference presentation and participation were also found to be associated with student achievement growth in mathematics. The districts and schools may benefit from investing their professional development funds and resources in facilitating teacher-centered collaborative and research-based learning activities in order to improve student learning.     

Professionalizing in- service teachers’ focus on technological pedagogical and content knowledge

In Ethiopia, primary school teachers of science and mathematics are encouraged to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into their teaching as a means to improve the quality of education. However, there has not been the same emphasis placed on providing professional learning opportunities for teachers on how to use ICT in their teaching. The present study investigated how a group of practising primary school science and mathematics teachers developed the skills needed to integrate ICT into their teaching. The study employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods within an action research approach. The teachers took part in activities from a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) based professional learning workshop, including designing lessons, classroom instruction, and reflection activities in teams. A lesson evaluation sheet, questionnaire, observation checklist, and logbook were used to gather data. The results showed that the teachers acquired an improved competency to integrate available ICT into their teaching through the intervention activities.     

Supporting novice elementary mathematics teachers’ induction in professional communities and providing innovative forms of pedagogical content knowledge development through information and communication technology

This paper reports on the needs identified as important to 27 novice elementary mathematics teachers and examines how Connect-ME, an online mathematics community, provides these supports. Qualitative data were collected using two focus groups and 16 telephone interviews. Findings validate the need for alternative teacher professional development (TPD) models and the value of professional communities and knowledge acquired through technology-facilitated learning. The results indicate that teachers actively seek formal and informal TPD experiences, opportunities for sharing and communicating, and access to quality resources. This study provides educational researchers and administrators with essential elements for effectively supporting novice elementary mathematics teachers.     

海南高职院校数学教师专业发展现状——以公办和民办高职院教师为例

以问卷方式了解海南高职院校数学教师专业发展状况,利用SPSS统计分析软件对问卷中公、民办数学教师基本情况做列联表分析,发现公、民办数学教师在年龄、学历、职称、周工作量、教学条件、受训机会等方面差异较显著。此研究旨在为高职院校数学教师提供良好教学平台提供实证依据。     

Expanding the instructional triangle: conceptualizing mathematics teacher development

As mathematics educators think about teaching that promotes students’ opportunities to learn, attention must be given to the conceptualization of the professional development of teachers and those who teach teachers. In this article, we generalize and expand the instructional triangle to consider different interactions in a variety of teacher development contexts. We have done so by addressing issues of language for models of teachers’ professional development at different levels and by providing examples of situations in which these models can be applied. Through the expansion of our understanding and use of the instructional triangle we can further develop the concept of mathematics teacher development.     

The impact of task-based professional development on teachers’ practices and beliefs: a design research study

The paper describes a design research study with experienced mathematics teachers of post-16 low-attaining students. The study explored the use of generic collaborative mathematics tasks in promoting professional development. I describe the theoretical basis for the design of the tasks, the tasks themselves and a professional development programme in which they were used by teachers drawn from 44 colleges. Teachers that used many of the tasks reported profound changes to their practices and this was confirmed student reports and classroom observation. Teachers’ beliefs about mathematics, teaching and learning both constrained the ways the tasks were implemented and were challenged by the affective and cognitive outcomes. The variation in these outcomes are examined and explained from the evidence.     

Facebook as a mechanism for informal teacher professional learning in Indonesia

This study investigated the use of Facebook as a medium for, and process of, teachers’ informal professional learning regarding mathematical and pedagogical knowledge. Facebook responses to four inter-related posts about mathematics examples from Facebook users (N = 117) were captured and systematically analysed using content analysis. The data were examined through the lens of the five characteristics of the Effective Professional Development framework. The results identified different types of responses to the four Facebook posts including the opening of learning opportunities, rich mathematical and pedagogical discussions, respondents’ appreciations and direct impacts of the posts, as well as the acknowledgement of the misalignment between the proposed ideas and current teaching practices in Indonesia. These responses provided evidence that all five characteristics of the framework were apparent and highlighted the role of Facebook in supporting teacher informal professional learning within the Indonesian context. The limitations of such social networking-based research and implications for teacher professional development are provided.     

Professional development for practicing mathematics teachers: a critical connection to English language learner students in mainstream USA classrooms

This article examines the effects of changing teacher self-efficacy on student achievement. Results from a quantitative study of mathematics teachers in a USA mid-Atlantic state showed that teachers experienced reduced self-efficacy when working with English language learner students (ELLs) relative to non-ELLs. Further, the article explores professional development opportunities for strengthening teachers’ effectiveness with ELLs. The study utilized a four-part survey instrument based on the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). All participants (n = 181) were mathematics educators from the highlighted state, and 94 % of them were preK-12 public school practicing classroom teachers. Study results indicate that teachers’ participation in professional development on ELL instruction is positively correlated to their heightened sense of self-efficacy. This finding points to continuing education as a potentially viable approach to reducing academic challenges for ELL students in mainstream mathematics classrooms by developing ever more effective practicing teachers.