Accumulated research findings in past decades have led to the common knowledge that teachers’ professional knowledge is essential to effective classroom instruction. However, there is still very limited understanding about the nature of teachers’ expertise in mathematics instruction. Expertise in Mathematics Instruction addresses this need clearly and concisely. In particular, it examines all aspects of emphases employed to characterize the nature of expertise in mathematics instruction from both researchers’ and practitioners’ perspectives. Moreover, with research contributions from both the East and the West, this book also examines ideas pertinent to fostering and demonstrating expertise in mathematics instruction within different system contexts. This book will raise questions and issues for mathematics education researchers to guide a critical examination of what can be learned from other education systems.
Expertise in Mathematics Instruction builds on its theoretical and methodological approach with contributions from international experts in the field. Additionally, a review of related research from mathematics education serves as an introduction to the new research in both Eastern and Western settings. Concluding this resource is a reflection on the benefits of this international collaboration and possible research directions for the future. The final chapter cohesively joins traditional and current research for action.
Expertise in Mathematics Instruction is of interest to researchers in mathematics education, mathematics teacher educators, and mathematics educators.
Expertise in Mathematics Instruction An International Perspective Yeping Li, Gabriele Kaiser, editors While the concept of the expert educator is far from being new, and the process of acquiring expertise as an instructor has long been of interest to researchers, the specifics of expertise in the teaching of mathematics remain difficult to describe it theoretically and to evaluate it empirically. To improve this situation, Expertise in Mathematics Instruction takes a unique approach to present new research from multiple Western and Eastern countries, offering a comprehensive picture of the components making up this elusive competency, and how these elements contribute to the teaching process in different educational systems and cultural contexts. The book is organized to probe three universal themes: identifying expert teachers, specifying and analyzing teacher expertise in mathematics education, and understanding expertise in mathematics education as it is perceived and valued in different cultures. From this richly inspiring collection, readers may better understand―and possibly rethink―their own policies and practices as mathematics educators, teacher educators or researchers. Some highlights of the volume: • Roles of the expert mathematics teacher envisioned in the West and the East. • Profiles of teacher expertise in mathematics instruction identified in the East and West. • Enabling a significant role for students in classroom discourse. • Developing expertise in using textbooks to teach mathematics. • Cross-national comparative results on teachers’ qualifications and practices. Expertise in Mathematics Instruction brings invaluable insights to mathematics educators and teacher educators who wish to help teachers improve their competence, and to researchers studying this critical aspect of mathematics pedagogy.
