ERIC Number: EJ748813
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Aug
Pages: 33
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 0
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1386-4416
Reconsidering the Study of Mathematics Instructional Practices: The Importance of Curricular Context in Understanding Local and Global Teacher Change
Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth A.; Lubienski, Sarah Theule; Id-Deen, Lateefah
Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, v9 n4 p313-345 Aug 2006
This paper discusses the case of one teacher, Jackie, whose instructional practices illuminate the importance of textbooks and student/parent expectations in shaping pedagogy. Jackie teaches in the Plainview district, which offers parents and students a choice between a reform-oriented, integrated curriculum ("Core Plus") and a more conventional algebra sequence (the University of Chicago series). Each day, Jackie teaches two very different sections of accelerated eighth-grade mathematics using each of these curricular materials. Drawing from students' survey responses, classroom observations, and teacher interview data, we show ways in which Jackie's pedagogy differs considerably between the two courses and we shed light on reasons underlying this variation. By examining one teacher who enacts different practices in each of the two curricular contexts, this paper highlights factors that contribute to teachers' enacted curricula--factors that have been understated in previous mathematics education research on teacher development. The study establishes the importance of distinguishing between "global" and "local" teacher change, and suggests implications for future studies of teaching and reform.
Descriptors: Integrated Curriculum, Mathematics Education, Educational Change, Educational Practices, Grade 8, Textbooks, Teaching Methods, Case Studies, Algebra, Mathematics Teachers, Context Effect
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 8
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: New York

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