ERIC Number: EJ859573
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Oct
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-7217
EISSN: N/A
The Curious--and Crucial--Case of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching
Hill, Heather; Ball, Deborah Loewenberg
Phi Delta Kappan, v91 n2 p68-71 Oct 2009
Mathematics teachers need specialized math knowledge that is different from the knowledge needed by mathematicians, including the mathematical understanding involved in posing questions, interpreting students' answers, providing explanations, and using representations. Based on the authors' work involving over 300 teachers, they have found that teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) is strongly related to the mathematical quality of their instruction, including their use of mathematical explanation and representations, responsiveness to students' mathematical ideas, and ability to avoid mathematical imprecision and error. In this article, the authors discuss how teachers develop and use MKT. In order for teachers to have opportunities to learn MKT, the authors stress that those who prepare teachers and provide professional development will themselves need to have adequate support. Better materials, more specific guidance focused on the teaching of MKT, and better design of opportunities to learn from practice are essential.
Descriptors: Mathematics Education, Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Instruction, Knowledge Base for Teaching, Competency Based Teacher Education, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teacher Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A