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There are fundamental questions associated with issues of mathematics curriculum enactment and the identification of factors that affect (positively or negatively) the use of curriculum at all grade levels in different school contexts and classroom settings. This cross-site survey of over 650 K-12 mathematics teachers in three school districts begins to uncover the relationship between district-related variables and curriculum enactment of district-adopted curricula. This study provides information needed by the school district partners to proceed in improving teaching and learning in particular areas of mathematics. In addition, it provides information to the broader mathematics education community concerning how the curriculum surrounding specific mathematical ideas are enacted in different school systems using different curricular materials. Finally, the cross-site study provides a model for studying the implementation of other mathematical ideas of particular interest.
There are a number of reasons why teaching and learning of a particular mathematical idea might not be optimal, and it is important to know
which ones are at play in order to make decisions about how to improve teachers' practice and students' learning. Some possible reasons include:
- The curriculum materials may not address that area well.
- Teachers may not know well the content they are teaching.
- Teachers may not be following the curriculum in place, for any number of reasons.
- Teachers may be following the curriculum, but not implementing it well.
The study assists district partners in uncovering the role of each of the preceding scenarios so that plans can be developed for improving student learning.
Data Collection
Teachers of mathematics (K-12) in each of the partner districts were asked to complete a
survey that targeted:
- General attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and mathematics teaching
- Preparedness in mathematics content, in using the adopted instructional materials, and in using particular pedagogical strategies
- Classroom practices; here there are three sections, one for teachers in each grade range (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) that survey instructional practices
related to a particular "slice" of mathematics
In addition to the survey administered to the mathematics teacher population, a small number of teachers are being targeted in each district for
additional data collection. Although these volunteers are not likely to be representative of all mathematics teachers in the partner districts, they
will provide important insight into better understanding the challenges of teaching and learning the "slice" of mathematics being studied.
A draft report summarizing the study has been shared with Local Advisory Committees at each partner site. Among the survey results, one school
district showed marked differences from the others in the percentage of instructional time based on textbook materials, expected yearly textbook
coverage, and ratings of textbook quality. Data on type of textbook used, professional development, preparedness to teach specific topics, and
other factors yield hypotheses about the reasons for the differences. The full report is currently being revised for publication and has been
submitted for presentation at professional meetings.
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