Current school mathematics curricula internationally tend to emphasize problem-solving and have led to the development of opportunities for children to do maths in a more open, creative way. This has led to increased interest in "performance-based" assessment, which involves children in substantial production of written language to serve as "evidence" of their mathematical activity and achievement. However, this raises two important questions. Firstly, does this writing accurately present children's mathematical activity and ability? Secondly, do maths teachers have sufficient linguistic awareness to support their students in developing skills and knowledge necessary for writing effectively in their subject area? The author of this book takes a critical perspective on these questions and, through an investigation of teachers' readings and evaluations of coursework texts, identifies the crucial issues affecting the accurate assessment of school mathematics.

At a time when political interest in mathematics education is at its highest, this book demonstrates that the issues are far from straightforward. A wide range of international contributors address such questions as: What is mathematics, and what is it for? What skills does mathematics education need to provide as technology advances? What are the implications for teacher education? What can we learn from past attempts to change the mathematics curriculum?
Rethinking the Mathematics Curriculum offers stimulating discussions, showing much is to be learnt from the differences in culture, national expectations, and political restraints revealed in the book. This accessible book will be of particular interest to policy makers, curriculum developers, educators, researchers and employers as well as the general reader.

School mathematics curricula internationally tend to emphasise problem-solving and have led to the development of opportunities for children to do maths in a more open, creative way. This has led to increased interest in 'performance-based' assessment, which involves children in substantial production of written language to serve as 'evidence' of their mathematical activity and achievement. However, this raises two important questions. Firstly, does this writing accurately present children's mathematical activity and ability? Secondly, do maths teachers have sufficient linguistic awareness to support their students in developing skills and knowledge necessary for writing effectively in their subject area? The author of this book takes a critical perspective on these questions and, through an investigation of teachers' readings and evaluations of coursework texts, identifies the crucial issues affecting the accurate assessment of school mathematics.

This accessible and thought-provoking book considers what beginning teachers need to know about learning, teaching, assessment, curriculum and professional development, in the context of teaching mathematics to eleven to nineteen year olds. It is part of a new series of books that has as its starting point the fact that PGCE students are already subject specialists. The authors show how mathematics teachers can communicate their own enthusiasm for the subject and inspire their pupils to learn and enjoy learning. They provide practical advice which will help teachers and student teachers to: plan, organize, manage and assess classroom work make decisions about the content, ordering and level of difficulty of lessons make sense of new subject material and how it contributes to wider educational aims develop professionally by developing the subject as a whole. This is a comprehensive introduction to teaching mathematics in the secondary school which will be invaluable to teachers beginning their careers and those who are training to be mathematics teachers.

This accessible and thought-provoking book considers what beginning teachers need to know about learning, teaching, assessment, curriculum and professional development, in the context of teaching mathematics to eleven to nineteen year olds. It is part of a new series of books that has as its starting point the fact that PGCE students are already subject specialists. The authors show how mathematics teachers can communicate their own enthusiasm for the subject and inspire their pupils to learn and enjoy learning. They provide practical advice which will help teachers and student teachers to: plan, organize, manage and assess classroom work make decisions about the content, ordering and level of difficulty of lessons make sense of new subject material and how it contributes to wider educational aims develop professionally by developing the subject as a whole. This is a comprehensive introduction to teaching mathematics in the secondary school which will be invaluable to teachers beginning their careers and those who are training to be mathematics teachers.

At a time when political interest in mathematics education is at its highest, this book demonstrates that the issues are far from straightforward. A wide range of international contributors address such questions as: What is mathematics, and what is it for? What skills does mathematics education need to provide as technology advances? What are the implications for teacher education? What can we learn from past attempts to change the mathematics curriculum?
Rethinking the Mathematics Curriculum offers stimulating discussions, showing much is to be learnt from the differences in culture, national expectations, and political restraints revealed in the book. This accessible book will be of particular interest to policy makers, curriculum developers, educators, researchers and employers as well as the general reader.

This book offers an international perspective on the current and future state of the research, focusing, in particular, on the role and use of language in mathematics school teaching and learning. It focuses on the development of a unified view of the languages of the learners, of the teachers and of mathematics by considering the role of language in the learning, teaching and doing of mathematics in the classroom, and the current richness and plurality of language and culture. The contributions in this volume combine to show how views of language and of language research in mathematics education have changed significantly in recent decades, and how they will continue to change and become even more complex and challenging in the era of diversity. All of these contributions by leading scholars are grouped into two sections for emphasis on issues of: * Theorising the complexity of language in mathematics teaching and learning * Opening spaces of learning with mathematics classroom research on language This book will be of great interest to mathematics teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers and mathematics education researchers who deal with the study and implementation of pedagogies of mathematics teaching and learning, specifically in regions of the world which are culturally and sociolinguistically diverse.

This book offers an international perspective on the current and future state of the research, focusing, in particular, on the role and use of language in mathematics school teaching and learning. It focuses on the development of a unified view of the languages of the learners, of the teachers and of mathematics by considering the role of language in the learning, teaching and doing of mathematics in the classroom, and the current richness and plurality of language and culture. The contributions in this volume combine to show how views of language and of language research in mathematics education have changed significantly in recent decades, and how they will continue to change and become even more complex and challenging in the era of diversity. All of these contributions by leading scholars are grouped into two sections for emphasis on issues of: * Theorising the complexity of language in mathematics teaching and learning * Opening spaces of learning with mathematics classroom research on language This book will be of great interest to mathematics teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers and mathematics education researchers who deal with the study and implementation of pedagogies of mathematics teaching and learning, specifically in regions of the world which are culturally and sociolinguistically diverse.