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. The FIRSTMATH study promises the development of methods and strategies to make it possible for teacher educators and future teachers to examine (and improve on) their own practices in an important STEM area.

This book uses the publicly available TEDS-M data to answer such questions as: How does teacher education contribute to the learning outcomes of future teachers? Are there programs that are more successful than others in helping teachers learn to teach mathematics? How does the local and national policy environment contribute to teacher education outcomes? It invites readers to explore these questions across a large number of international settings. The importance of preparing future mathematics teachers has become a priority across many nations. Across the globe nations have allocated resources and expertise to this endeavour. Yet in spite of the importance accorded to teacher education not much is known about different approaches to preparing knowledgeable teachers and whether these approaches do in fact achieve their purpose. The Mathematics Teacher Education and Development Study (TEDS-M) is the first, and to date the only, cross-national study using scientific and representative samples to provide empirical data on the knowledge that future mathematics teachers of primary and secondary school acquire in their teacher education programs. The study addresses the central importance of teacher knowledge in learning to teach mathematics by examining variation in the nature and influence of teacher education programs within and across countries. The study collected data on teacher education programs structure, curriculum and opportunities to learn, on teacher educators' characteristics and beliefs, and on future mathematics teachers' individual characteristics, beliefs, and mathematics and pedagogical knowledge across 17 countries providing a unique opportunity to explore enduring questions in the field.

This book uses the publicly available TEDS-M data to answer such questions as: How does teacher education contribute to the learning outcomes of future teachers? Are there programs that are more successful than others in helping teachers learn to teach mathematics? How does the local and national policy environment contribute to teacher education outcomes? It invites readers to explore these questions across a large number of international settings. The importance of preparing future mathematics teachers has become a priority across many nations. Across the globe nations have allocated resources and expertise to this endeavour. Yet in spite of the importance accorded to teacher education not much is known about different approaches to preparing knowledgeable teachers and whether these approaches do in fact achieve their purpose. The Mathematics Teacher Education and Development Study (TEDS-M) is the first, and to date the only, cross-national study using scientific and representative samples to provide empirical data on the knowledge that future mathematics teachers of primary and secondary school acquire in their teacher education programs. The study addresses the central importance of teacher knowledge in learning to teach mathematics by examining variation in the nature and influence of teacher education programs within and across countries. The study collected data on teacher education programs structure, curriculum and opportunities to learn, on teacher educators' characteristics and beliefs, and on future mathematics teachers' individual characteristics, beliefs, and mathematics and pedagogical knowledge across 17 countries providing a unique opportunity to explore enduring questions in the field.

The purpose of this handbook is to help launch institutional transformations in mathematics departments to improve student success. We report findings from the Student Engagement in Mathematics through an Institutional Network for Active Learning (SEMINAL) study. SEMINAL's purpose is to help change agents, those looking to (or currently attempting to) enact change within mathematics departments and beyond--trying to reform the instruction of their lower division mathematics courses in order to promote high achievement for all students. SEMINAL specifically studies the change mechanisms that allow postsecondary institutions to incorporate and sustain active learning in Precalculus to Calculus 2 learning environments. Out of the approximately 2.5 million students enrolled in collegiate mathematics courses each year, over 90% are enrolled in Precalculus to Calculus 2 courses. Forty-four percent of mathematics departments think active learning mathematics strategies are important for Precalculus to Calculus 2 courses, but only 15percnt; state that they are very successful at implementing them. Therefore, insights into the following research question will help with institutional transformations: What conditions, strategies, interventions and actions at the departmental and classroom levels contribute to the initiation, implementation, and institutional sustainability of active learning in the undergraduate calculus sequence (Precalculus to Calculus 2) across varied institutions? This book is published in cooperation with CBMS.

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. The FIRSTMATH study promises the development of methods and strategies to make it possible for teacher educators and future teachers to examine (and improve on) their own practices in an important STEM area.

This book provides an overview of a body of work conducted over the past seven years related to the preparation of secondary mathematics teachers by the Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership (MTE-Partnership), a national consortium of more than 90 universities and 100 school systems. The MTE-Partnership is organized as a Networked Improvement Community (NIC), which combines the disciplined inquiry of improvement science with the power of networking to accelerate improvement by engaging a broad set of participants. The MTE-Partnership is addressing key challenges in secondary mathematics teacher preparation, including: Supporting the development of content knowledge relevant to teaching secondary mathematics; Providing effective clinical experiences to teacher candidates; Recruiting secondary mathematics teacher candidates, ensuring program completion and their subsequent retention in the field as early career teachers; Supporting overall transformation of secondary mathematics teacher preparation in alignment with these challenges; Ensuring a focus on equity and social justice in secondary mathematics teacher recruitment, preparation, and induction. This book outlines existing knowledge related to each of these key challenges, as well as the work of Research Action Clusters (RACs) formed to address the challenges. Each RAC includes participants from multiple institutions who work collaboratively to iteratively develop, test, and refine processes and products that can help programs more effectively prepare secondary mathematics teacher candidates. The book describes promising approaches to improving aspects of secondary mathematics teacher preparation developed by the RACs, including specific products that have been developed, which will inform the work of others involved in secondary mathematics teacher preparation. In addition, reflections on the use of the NIC model provides insights for others considering this research design. Particularreferences to the Standards for Preparing Teachers of Mathematics (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017) are included throughout the book.

This book provides an overview of a body of work conducted over the past seven years related to the preparation of secondary mathematics teachers by the Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership (MTE-Partnership), a national consortium of more than 90 universities and 100 school systems. The MTE-Partnership is organized as a Networked Improvement Community (NIC), which combines the disciplined inquiry of improvement science with the power of networking to accelerate improvement by engaging a broad set of participants. The MTE-Partnership is addressing key challenges in secondary mathematics teacher preparation, including: Supporting the development of content knowledge relevant to teaching secondary mathematics; Providing effective clinical experiences to teacher candidates; Recruiting secondary mathematics teacher candidates, ensuring program completion and their subsequent retention in the field as early career teachers; Supporting overall transformation of secondary mathematics teacher preparation in alignment with these challenges; Ensuring a focus on equity and social justice in secondary mathematics teacher recruitment, preparation, and induction. This book outlines existing knowledge related to each of these key challenges, as well as the work of Research Action Clusters (RACs) formed to address the challenges. Each RAC includes participants from multiple institutions who work collaboratively to iteratively develop, test, and refine processes and products that can help programs more effectively prepare secondary mathematics teacher candidates. The book describes promising approaches to improving aspects of secondary mathematics teacher preparation developed by the RACs, including specific products that have been developed, which will inform the work of others involved in secondary mathematics teacher preparation. In addition, reflections on the use of the NIC model provides insights for others considering this research design. Particularreferences to the Standards for Preparing Teachers of Mathematics (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017) are included throughout the book.