The First Five Years of Teaching Mathematics (FIRSTMATH): Concepts, Methods and Strategies for Comparative International Research

This book reports on an innovative study into the first five years of mathematics teaching: FIRSTMATH. For the first time, the study has developed a viable methodology to analyze the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of beginning mathematics teachers as well as instruments to explore the contexts where they work. The book provides a step by step account of this exploratory (proof-of-concept) research study, using a comparative and international approach, and introduces readers to the challenges entailed.

Maria Teresa Tatto is a Professor in the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University, and the Southwest Borderlands Professor of Comparative Education at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. She received her doctoral degree in Policy Analysis and Evaluation Research in Education from Harvard University, and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Dr. Tatto has served as the director and principal investigator for the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDSM), and for the First-Five-Years of Mathematics Teaching Study (FIRSTMATH), both funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Michael Rodriguez is a professor of educational measurement and psychometrics at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on item writing and accessible assessment design, in the contexts of early language and literacy development and the measurement of social and emotional learning.

Mark Reckase is a retired professor of educational measurement and psychometric theory from Michigan State University.  He specializes in item response theory, standard setting, and the evaluation of teacher performance.

Wendy Smith works at the University of Nebraska and focuses her research on PK-20 mathematics, science, and computer science education and change, including institutional change, active learning, rural education, teacher change, teacher professional development, teacher leadership, professional networks, action research, professional noticing, and estimating teacher professional learning effects on student achievement.

Kiril Bankov is Professor of mathematics education at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, the University of Sofia and at the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He is a mathematics coordinator for the Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics, and for the First Five Years of Mathematics Teaching Study, both designed to explore the connections between pre-service preparation and what is learned on the job during the first years of teaching. His research interests include preparation of mathematics teachers, mathematics teaching, assessment in mathematics education, extracurricular work with mathematically gifted students, mathematics competitions.

James Pippin served as the project coordinator for FIRSTMATH while completing his PhD at Michigan State University. He has a PhD is in Educational Policy, from Michigan State University and is currently the Student Learning Assessment Specialist at Oakland Community College in Michigan.