Toward Instructional Reform in the Math Classroom: A Teacher's Process of Change.

The reform movement in mathematics education calls for students to engage in problem solving, to discuss and communicate their thinking, and to develop meaningful understandings. This paper reports a case study of a fourth-grade class in line with the reform call, emphasizing the process of change the teacher experienced and the support she needed. The teacher in this study taught mathematics using the Cognitively Guided Instruction approach. Observations, interviews, and student assessments were collected. Reported are four phases of teacher change: (1) the teacher's teaching and thinking at the beginning of the study; (2) learning, thinking, and stimulating the process of change; (3) learning from and helping individuals; and (4) building on children's thinking in instruction. Contains 25 references. (MKR)