The Department of Mathematics & Statistics would like to welcome:
Rachel Snider, University of Michigan, on Thursday, December 10th, at 9:00 am in SCP 223
Title: Studying the Intersection of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching and Teaching Practices
Abstract: Recent research has focused separately on mathematics teachers’ knowledge and teaching practices. However, the field lacks understanding of how teachers coordinate knowledge in teaching, where knowledge and teaching practices are closely intertwined. For example, when a teacher explains how to simplify a rational expression, they must think about the key mathematical ideas they need to discuss and how to make the discussion accessible to students. Drawing on the theory of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and a view of knowledge as situated, this talk presents results from investigations of K-12 teachers’ enactments of different teaching practices, including selecting examples and giving explanations. I consider how teachers draw on multiple sources of knowledge in enacting teaching practices and examine closely the components of the specific teaching practices.
The presentation will also examine multiple methods of investigating teachers’ MKT in practice, such as classroom observations and cognitive interviews. Implications for teacher education will be discussed along with directions for future research.