The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics published their vision of
active, problem-centered instruction with a goal of conceptual understanding in
1989. Fifteen years after these reforms were proposed the changes are reflected in
school policy and elementary mathematics curriculum, but only limited change has
actually occurred in classroom instruction. With the belief that the classroom teacher
is the key person affecting educational change, this case study examines the journey
of five elementary classroom teachers as they transformed their mathematics
instruction from traditional to reform-based, with the purpose of identifying the key
elements that influenced the changes.
This is a multi-case study involving five elementary classroom teachers who
have recently been the recipient of the Elementary Presidential Award for Excellence
in Teaching Mathematics. All of these teachers began teaching with traditional
textbook programs and have changed their teaching to reform-based, problem-centered
instruction. Over the course of two one-hour interviews each teacher told
the story of his or her changes, explaining the influences, the key resources, the
influential people, and the support they received in the process. The cases are
individually presented; then all five are examined together in a cross-case analysis
using a constructivist theoretical perspective.
Three key elements were found to be influential in the teachers' change
journeys. First, all five were self-motivated to make changes in their mathematics
instruction. They were looking for practices that would give their students both better
understanding and positive dispositions. All believed the reform-based instruction
met these goals. Second, all five engaged in rich professional discussions about the
changes they were making. These discussions were in groups with high levels of
trust, in which the teachers freely shared concerns and successes, asked questions,
and compared experiences. They were learning communities that supported the
teachers' development of pedagogy and knowledge, allowing them to become
confident practitioners. Finally, all five teachers were passionate about their
teaching. The learning of their students and the improvement of their teaching were
the prime considerations in the changes they adopted and the knowledge and skills
they developed. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/31796 |
| Date | 19 April 2004 |
| Creators | White, Elizabeth Busch |
| Contributors | Higgins, Karen M. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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