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For the past forty years, United States school districts have increasingly hired mathematics specialists to support the teaching and learning of mathematics. Despite the prevalence of this professional development structure, this is a relatively new research topic for the mathematics education field. In this paper, we report findings from an exploration of literature between 1981 and 2018 to examine the role of mathematics specialists (MSs). In particular, we examine: (a) MS positioning across research; (b) historical trends of school‐based MS research; and (c) orientations of school‐based MSs within research. Using the McGatha and Rigelman framework as an analytic lens, we found that beyond the positions identified in their framework (coach, intervention specialist, teacher), there were four additional MS positionings within the research (learner, other p‐12 stakeholder, university stakeholder, unknown). Ultimately, we forward an expansion to the McGatha and Rigelman framework to include these new categories, as well as contextual descriptions and working definitions to support future research in more accurately and robustly capturing the ways in which MSs are investigated and reported on in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics autobiographies have the potential to help teachers reflect on their identities as mathematics learners and to understand their role in the development of their students' mathematics identities. This paper reports on a professional development project for K-2 teachers ( n = 41), in which participants were asked to write mathematics autobiographies. Using an adaptation of an existing framework for characterizing teachers' mathematics stories, we describe the consistencies among the participants' experiences as mathematics learners and the events that are identified as being the impetus for a transition from a negative to a positive attitude toward mathematics. Implications for both teachers and teacher educators are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we describe preservice elementary teachers 'reactions to Liping Ma's (1999) book, Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics (KTEM), from five universities. Ma's discussion of solely teaching elementary mathematics procedurally and its consequences awakens the preservice teachers 'memories of learning elementary mathematics. Ma's analysis of and solution to the problem ignites strong emotions in the preservice elementary teachers and promotes a desire to teach elementary mathematics conceptually. Through the analysis of writing assignments, we summarize how reading and reflecting on KTEM gives preservice teachers an opportunity to examine their beliefs about teaching and learning elementary mathematics conceptually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of repealed reform efforts, there is research and data that suggest that teachers lack the needed knowledge to successfully teach elementary mathematics. Some argue that teachers lack the needed content knowledge while other argue that a lack of confidence and practice are impacting teachers `ability to successful leach mathematics. As a result of these issues, this paper looks at the impact of a service-learning experience on pre- service teachers' confidence and preparation in the area of mathematics. The service-learning experience had a number of intended and unintended outcomes. As a result of the service-learning experience. pre-service teachers noted increased understanding, innovation and confidence in the area of mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed methods study explored the development of elementary and middle school preservice teachers' (PSTs) learning to assess student thinking through analysis of students' written work. Six sections of the first mathematics content course for teaching implemented two writing assignments focused on analysis of student work aligned to the mathematics topics covered in the PSTs' classes. Using quantitative methodology, we examined the PSTs' (n = 99) change in their noticing and assessment skills of attending to and interpreting students' thinking. We also documented their mathematical content knowledge (MKT) as measured by the Learning for Mathematics Teaching in the domains of specialized content knowledge and knowledge of content and students. Findings show that the PSTs increased in their assessment skills and in their MKT. Using a qualitative methodology on interview data of a subset of eight PSTs, we found they acknowledged that having a firm grasp of mathematical content is essential to understanding and explaining student thinking. Findings indicate that engaging PSTs in the real work of teaching such as noticing and assessing students' thinking through written work at the early stages of their teacher preparation may motivate PSTs to learn mathematics more deeply with an eye towards strengthening their assessment skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we describe the case of "Keri," a fifth‐grade teacher who had completed an Elementary Mathematics Specialist (EMS) certification program. Drawn from a larger study investigating the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of EMSs, Keri's case was unique in that she was teaching mathematics to four classes in a departmentalized structure, where students were placed into different classes according to perceived mathematics ability. Observations from the larger study revealed that Keri's instructional practices did not align with her reported beliefs and knowledge. To explore this deviation, we conducted a case study where we observed Keri's instruction across multiple classes and used interviews to explore reasons for Keri's instructional decisions in terms of her perceived professional obligations. We found that Keri did employ practices that were aligned with her reported beliefs and knowledge such as pressing students for mathematical justifications, but only in her "higher ability" classes. Interview data suggested that Keri's decisions were driven by a strong obligation to individual students, overriding other obligations. We describe implications of these findings, including the limitations of teacher assessments and surveys as proxies for teaching quality, and discuss recommendations for approaches to teacher development that account for teachers' perceived obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindsets have been shown to greatly influence individuals' efforts and subsequent success in the endeavors they attempt. This is particularly true of mathematical endeavors where mindset impacts the ways in which individuals approach and persevere in learning. This exploratory study investigated the mathematical mindsets held by 242 prospective teachers in undergraduate mathematics content courses for PreK‐8 teachers as well as examined the relationships between mindset, depth of learning, challenge seeking choices, and course grades. A strong predictive nature was found to exist among these variables. Recommendations are identified for future research to investigate prospective teachers' mindsets and depth of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on teachers' use of student mathematical thinking (SMT) and recommendations for effective mathematics instruction claim that how teachers respond to SMT has great impact on student mathematical learning in the classroom. This study examined some Chinese mathematics teachers' responses to student in‐the‐moment mathematical thinking that emerged during whole class discussion. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of Chinese elementary mathematics teachers in the data involved the whole group of students to make sense of in‐the‐moment SMT. They either invited students to digest SMT involved in the instance or provided an extension of the instance to further develop student mathematical understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study was situated in a National Science Foundation supported Math Science Partnership between a private university and an urban school district. This study sought to understand the decision‐making process of elementary teachers as they implement an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in their classrooms and the interactions that occur between the teachers and curriculum during that process. This qualitative study utilized a comparative case study approach to understanding the decision‐making process of three elementary teachers enacting the same lesson. Analysis of the interactions revealed that the teachers' perceptions of student ability, their pedagogical design capacity, and time were influences that impacted implementation. These findings have implications for STEM‐focused professional development of elementary teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how mathematics content and methods courses for preservice elementary and middle school teachers could be improved through the integration of a set of instructional materials based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress ( NAEP). A set of eight instructional modules was developed and tested. The study involved 7 university instructors and 542 preservice teachers ( PSTs) from three different universities. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent groups design was used for this study in which the following data sources were collected and analyzed. Three versions of a Learning Mathematics for Teaching test were given to assess PSTs' mathematical content knowledge for teaching: (a) Elementary Number Concepts and Operations- Content Knowledge; (b) Elementary Geometry- Content Knowledge; and (c) Middle School Number Concepts and Operations- Content Knowledge. In addition, the Mathematics Teacher Efficacy Beliefs Instrument was given to assess PSTs' teacher efficacy beliefs. Test results were analyzed using paired samples t-tests. Findings suggest that use of instructional materials, based on NAEP, with PSTs results in increases in their mathematical content knowledge for teaching and in their teaching efficacy beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many students, developing mathematical reasoning can prove to be challenging. Such difficulty may be explained by a deficit in the core understanding of many arithmetical concepts taught in early school years. Multiplicative reasoning is one such concept that produces an essential foundation upon which higher-level mathematical thinking skills are built. The purpose of this study is to recognize indicators of multiplicative reasoning among fourth-grade students. Through cross-case analysis, the researcher used a test instrument to observe patterns of multiplicative reasoning at varying levels in a sample of 14 math students from a low socioeconomic school. Results indicate that the participants fell into three categories: premultiplicative, emergent, and multiplier. Consequently, 12 new sublevels were developed that further describe the multiplicative thinking of these fourth graders within the categories mentioned. Rather than being provided the standard mathematical algorithms, students should be encouraged to personally develop their own unique explanations, formulas, and understanding of general number system mechanics. When instructors are aware of their students' distinctive methods of determining multiplicative reasoning strategies and multiplying schemes, they are more apt to provide the most appropriate learning environment for their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Florida, recent legislative changes have granted community colleges the ability to offer baccalaureate degrees in education, frequently to non-traditional students. Based on information obtained from the literature covering preservice teachers' math knowledge, teachers' efficacy beliefs about math, and high-stakes mathematics testing, a study examined a population of preservice teachers in a new Florida teacher preparation program. The research investigated relationships surrounding non-traditional preservice teachers' characteristics such as: ages, high-stakes math failures, lower division mathematics history, and math methods course performance, in relation to their efficacy beliefs about mathematics. Results revealed that preservice teachers' ages, lower division mathematics history, and math methods course performance, did have a significant relationship with their math efficacy beliefs, as measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI); the variable of high-stakes math failures did not. Additionally, a multiple regression model including the aforementioned variables did predict preservice teachers' MTEBI scores, but did not generalize to the greater population. The findings from this study can assist new teacher preparation programs in isolating variables that identify preservice teachers who are at risk for poor mathematical attitudes; can posit avenues for fostering positive math beliefs in preservice teachers; and can recommend further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With inquiry being one of the central tenets of the national and most state standards, it is imperative that we have a solid means to measure the quality of inquiry-based instruction being led in classrooms. Many instruments are available and used for this purpose, but many are either invalid or too global. This study sought to compare two observational protocols: Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol (EQUIP) and Reformed Teacher Observation Protocol (RTOP) with regard to reliability, validity, and utility associated with inquiry-based instruction. Analyses included studying item reliability, inter-rater reliability, factor analysis, correlation, and multiple regression of protocol items within the instruments and between the instruments. General findings suggest that both instruments have high item reliability and are effective measures in both math and science classrooms; EQUIP showed higher inter-rater reliability and seems to be more valid for measuring inquiry-based instruction, while RTOP seems better suited for looking more globally at constructivist teaching practices. Additionally, the utility of EQUIP seems to be larger. It is useful for looking formatively at individual teaching practice, as well as studying summative teacher growth or program effectiveness. Further, because EQUIP uses a descriptive rubric instead of a Likert scale, the instrument provides immediate and targeted feedback to teachers, instructional leaders, and professional development facilitators. This feedback includes both a micro view (individual indicators) and a macro view (construct) of teaching practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from 503 inservice elementary teachers, this study investigated the relationship between teachers' background characteristics, teachers' beliefs about manipulatives, and the frequency with which teachers use manipulatives as part of their mathematics instruction. Findings from the study show that teachers' grade level and beliefs about manipulatives are important predictors of teachers' use of manipulatives in their mathematics instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research (e.g., Woodward & Baxter 1997) found that Standards-based mathematics teaching provides. marginal or no benefits for low achievers, in contrast with positive effects for middle and high ability students. A randomized quasi-experiment in 52 Canadian schools found that low achieving grade 7 and 8 students who received support consisting of placement on a learning continuum, instruction focused on their specific learning needs, and concrete materials to represent mathematical constructs, benefited from teaching that emphasized construction over transmission of knowledge. Treatment students showed small but statistically significant improvements over controls in student achievement, and controversially, in mathematical beliefs, and attitudes. The latter finding raised issues of the appropriate balance between Type I and Type II error in educational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-traditional forms of instruction provide exciting and engaging opportunities for mathematics education. This article proposes the use of mathematical figures painted on the school playground as an environment to support mathematical teaching, learning, and understanding. Teachers plan mathematics lessons to take advantage of the playground figures and present new topics, reinforce current topics, and review previous topics. Figures were chosen to support mathematical concepts required by the curriculum and state and national standards. The intentional blank portions of the playground figures allowed for adjustment of lesson activities to meet different grade level and individual student needs, as well as making the figures interactive with the use of sidewalk chalk. A teacher handbook suggests activities for each figure by grade level, and teachers often create their own ideas for using the figures. Students like the change of perspective and teachers feel that such lessons help to raise standardized test scores because the information is better retained. The lessons addressed multiple learning styles, help with vocabulary for English Language Learners, and infuse higher thinking levels into lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classroom tests from nine eighth-grade mathematics teachers were collected from the 2003-04 and 2005-0 6 school years. These years represent one school year prior to the eighth-grade Ohio Achievement Test (OAT) in mathematics being implemented and the year after the eighth-grade OAT in mathematics was implemented, respectively. In addition, teachers were interviewed to determine factors that influence classroom assessment practices. Classroom assessment data were compared between the two years, and interview data were examined, to investigate the impact that the new state test was having on classroom assessment practices. An average of 87% of teachers `classroom assessment items were at the lowest depth of knowledge level during both years. Teachers relied heavily on curriculum materials for their test items, and these items tended to only assess students ability to recall basic facts or perform straightforward procedures. The presence of a state test did not entice teachers to assess students at higher depth of knowledge levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the beliefs of K-8 preservice teachers during a content methods course. The goals of this course included exposing the preservice teachers to student-centered instructional methods for math and science and encouraging the development of lessons that would integrate mathematics and science. Prior research suggested that one must consider preservice teachers 'epistemic beliefs (Cady, Meier, & Lubinski, 2006a) as it influences their interpretation of the teacher education program. In this study, preservice teachers 'epistemic beliefs were identified, their beliefs about mathematics and science teaching and learning were identified and compared, and their descriptions of lessons that integrated mathematics and science were assessed. Findings suggest that preservice teachers made decisions based on an external locus of control and harbored greater anxiety about teaching math as compared to teaching science. They also indicate that the integration of mathematics and science in lesson plans was contrived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preservice teachers in a bachelor of education (Primary and ECE) program were surveyed about their beliefs and attitudes toward mathematics and its teaching and learning, at the beginning of their first mathematics curriculum unit and again at the end of their second mathematics education unit, approximately 18 months later. Significant differences were found for several items. However, in comparison to previously noted changes in the beliefs of similar cohorts from the beginning to end of a single unit, the changes were relatively 'small. Aspects of the course that students considered valuable and which may have contributed to the changes are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of content in core disciplines is viewed as an important curricular component in promoting scientific literacy. This study characterized the current practices of a group of elementary teachers relative to their development of interdisciplinary links between science, mathematics, and literacy. A qualitative analysis of survey data showed that there were substantial differences in the use of a well-developed process for integrating instruction. Teachers also lacked a conceptual connection to integration, showed contradictions in the importance placed on hands-on experiences, used measurement as the primary interdisciplinary connection between mathematics and science, and did not use instructional strategies designed specifically for nonfiction/ expository text. The findings underscore the need for professional development that assists teachers in changing their conceptual perspectives to integration while also building pedagogical knowledge related to integration of science, mathematics, and literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which examined teachers' conceptions about assessment practices in mathematics education. Description of research methods used in the study; Examination of statistical data on teachers' assessment practices; Results of this research.