An international perspective on knowledge in teaching mathematics

Carolyn A. Maher, Robert Sigley, Peter Sullivan, Louise C. Wilkinson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the Special Issue of the Journal of Mathematical Behavior: An international perspective on the knowledge in teaching mathematics, with a focus on the primary and elementary levels. The work originated with presentations given at the International Congress on Mathematics Education (ICME) 13 in Hamburg, Germany, in the Summer of 2016. The papers were solicited from the participants in Topic Study Group (TSG) 45: Knowledge In/For Teaching Mathematics at Primary Level. A primary goal for TSG 45 was to advance theories about the teacher content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge required for focusing instruction on building mathematical understanding and promoting student reasoning. This Special Issue emphasizes the role that teachers play in supporting that development. A significant corpus of research has identified major factors influencing how students build mathematical ideas and construct pathways of reasoning. However, our current understanding is that what is lacking is a conceptual framework that identifies and integrates factors regarding teachers’ roles in supporting students’ mathematical learning; and also, identifying the set of conditions and resources that optimally support that learning. We address this area of inquiry by organizing this overview article into the following sections: Cognitive perspectives; pedagogical perspectives; attending to students’ reasoning; language, communication and dialogue perspectives; and finally, we conclude with research-based implications for teaching practice and teacher professional learning.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)71-79
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Mathematical Behavior
Volume51
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2018

Keywords

  • International perspectives
  • Primary and elementary levels
  • Teaching mathematics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mathematics (miscellaneous)
  • Education
  • Applied Mathematics

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