Research suggests that special education teachers lack the pedagogical expertise and content knowledge needed to teach core mathematics standards and to develop the mathematical reasoning of fifth- and sixth-grade students with a mathematics learning disability (MLD). This study used a multiple-baseline design with randomization to examine the…

Students with disabilities and/or those who have difficulty learning mathematical concepts can be found in almost every classroom. Over the last several decades, the responsibilities and roles of general and special education educators have shifted, blurring the conventionally held boundaries between special education and general education…

Early mathematical skills have long been hailed as a cornerstone and as the best predictor of later success in mathematics and literacy. This perception highlights the importance of elementary educator's mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study explored a novel approach to motivating and facilitating…

To stay up with society and technology, pedagogical changes are needed. Even a well-designed curriculum depends on teachers, who implement it. Knowledge drives this field's educators' actions. This dissertation examined how the Southwest New Mexico Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMS) program affects elementary mathematics teachers' PCK.…

Mathematics education researchers have sought to understand the knowledge that teachers need to teach mathematics effectively. Teachers need to know more than merely knowing how to "do the math" at a particular grade level. However, the research community differs on the nature of that knowledge. The construct of "horizon content…

Prior research in mathematics education confirms the significance of representations as an integral part of curriculum standards. The effective teaching of representations is related to teachers' content and pedagogical knowledge. A teacher must know the salient features of the mathematical concept as well as the attributes of various…

For at least the past 40 years, the mathematics education community has attempted to characterize important learning goals for students that are not captured completely in specifications of mathematical content objectives. Mathematical processes such as problem solving, reasoning and representation have been prominent in these attempts. The most…

A significant number of students receive special education services for mathematics learning disabilities, however, many additional students need mathematics intervention to support their learning in the regular education classroom. A Response to Intervention (RtI) model has been identified as effective in addressing these students' needs;…

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to examine teachers' and students' perceptions of the impact of a semi-departmentalized classroom structure on mathematics teaching and learning in upper elementary grades. Participants were purposefully selected from teachers and students at the selected school, each completing at least…

Why do schools teach mathematics, and why do they teach the mathematics that they do? In this three-part dissertation, I argue that the justifications offered by national education systems are not convincing, and that students are tested on content whose purpose neither they nor their teachers clearly understand. In the first part of the…

There is no doubt that teachers' knowledge and beliefs play a significant role in shaping how students learn mathematics. Nevertheless, research regarding the knowledge and beliefs of preservice teachers, including the cultural dimension, is very limited (Xenofontos & Andrews, 2012). The purpose of this study is to investigate the similarities…

This quantitative research study investigates South Dakota middle school (grades 5-8) mathematics teachers' perceptions of teaching competencies including general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) and mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK). The study also considered how teacher characteristics relate to teacher competencies. The study…

Calls for better preparation of STEM teachers have been prominent in educational communities and among the public for the past several years (e.g. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 2007). Some research suggests one way to improve mathematics instruction is to increase elementary pre-service teachers' "mathematical…

Throughout the history of public education in the United States of America, the teaching of mathematics and its focus have been topics of reform and calls for change. Students need a balanced and intentional approach to learning mathematics, which supports each student in understanding and applying mathematical concepts. The purpose of this study…

This manuscript describes the study of an abstract algebra course for preservice secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs). Often, courses in abstract algebra have not been viewed as productive, beneficial learning experiences for future teachers, both by researchers and PSMTs themselves. This despite calls for increased content knowledge for…