Rina Zazkis and Dov Zazkis have written an article that was recently published online in Educational Studies in Mathematics. The article is entitled The significance of mathematical knowledge in teaching elementary methods courses: perspectives of mathematics teacher educators. Their article has an interesting and unusual prologue, which explains some of the issues discussed in the article:

Consider two candidates, Maria and Elena, who applied for the same position—instructor for a “Methods of Teaching Elementary Mathematics” course. Maria holds a Master’s Degree in Mathematics; she taught Mathematics for 5 years in secondary school and then for 3 years in college. She is a Ph.D. student in Mathematics Education. Elena, in contrast, holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education, and she has 15 years of teaching experience in elementary school at various grade levels. She is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum and Instruction. Which one should be hired?

In their article, they provide an overview of relevant research related to the practice of mathematics teacher educators, and they also go into a discussion of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). They do not, however, discuss the extension of MKT into MKTT (Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Teachers), which Deborah Zopf has discussed in her recent dissertation.

Here is the abstract of their article:

Our study investigates perspectives of mathematics teacher educators related to the usage of their mathematical knowledge in teaching “Methods of Teaching Elementary Mathematics” courses. Five mathematics teacher educators, all with experience in teaching methods courses for prospective elementary school teachers, participated in this study. In a clinical interview setting, the participants described where and how, in their teaching of elementary methods courses, they had an opportunity to use their advanced mathematical knowledge and provided examples of such opportunities or situations. We outline five apparently different viewpoints and then turn to the similar concerns that were expressed by the participants. In conclusion, we connect the individual perspectives by situating them in the context of unifying themes, both theoretical and practical.

Despina Potari, Haralambos Sakonidis, Roula Chatzigoula and Alexandros Manaridis have written an article that was recently published in Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. The article is entitled Teachers’ and researchers’ collaboration in analysing mathematics teaching: A context for professional reflection and development. Here is the abstract of their article:

The study reported here concerns 4 years of collaboration between secondary school teachers and academic researchers, constituting an emerging community of inquiry into mathematics teaching. In the article, the process of the forming of his community is discussed, focusing on the reflective activity developed by its members as well as the tensions and conflicts that emerged in the shaping of an inquiry identity by them. Furthermore, shifts in the mode of participation in the community and thus learning gains of all members are identified, with the teachers gradually developing an awareness of teaching practice in general, and the researchers becoming progressively acquainted with the reflexive relationship between inquiring into teaching practice and teachers’ professional development.

When the recession hit, some experts hopefully broadcast that by second or third quarter 2010, we’d be back on track to a healthier economy. But with unemployment and jobless claims still hitting record marks and the housing market tumbling further into chaos, personal finance and career stability are still obsessions for many Americans. If you’re looking for a career change or are college students trying to decide on a major, consider mathematics. A math major plus a higher degree in the field can reward you with many lucrative opportunities in the private sector or with government, and across many industries. Keep reading for 5 signs why mathematics should be chosen as a career option.

1. It’s an expansive field: Math isn’t just about solving problems from your textbook. It’s an integral part of disciplines and industries like economics, statistics, engineering, computers, business, and of course, education and academia. If you double major in math and another field like information technology, data networks, statistics, or finance, for example, you’ll have an even better chance at building a solid, in-demand career for yourself.
2. Wholly satisfying: Mathematics can satisfy two types of people, or two different sides of one person. Theoretical mathematics is more philosophical, abstract and even creative, while applied mathematics is more computational, practical, and solution-oriented. There’s something for everybody, so to speak.
3. Compete globally: American students are falling behind the rest of the world, especially Asia, when it comes to math skills. If you’re a strong math student, you can help businesses, the government, or schools compete globally in the mathematical sciences.
4. Great job growth: The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job growth for mathematicians is expected to grow at a faster than average rate over the next eight years, primarily due to advancements in technology and a need for teachers. It’s still a competitive field, but those with Ph.D.s and other specialties will have great potential for securing the best jobs.
5. High salary: Those working in the mathematical sciences can command lucrative salaries. The median annual earnings for mathematicians in May 2008, according to the BLS, was $95,150. And salaries in computer sciences, economics and related fields also tend to be higher on the earnings scale, too.

If you have an interest in and natural skill for mathematics, seriously consider what a career in the field can do for you and in terms of reaching your professional goals. From academia and education to technology and computer science to business, math is an expansive discipline that holds real promise for those with talent.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kate Cunningham, who writes on the topics of online university rankings.  She welcomes your questions and comments at her email Id: cn.kate1 @gmail.com.

The summer holidays  are definitely over, and it is time to provide an update on what has happened in some of the major journals in the field during summer! 

First in line is the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. They have released an August issue, and this issue contains five articles:

• Mathematically based and practically based explanations in the elementary school: teachers’ preferences, by Esther Levenson, Pessia Tsamir and Dina Tirosh
• Teacher lust: reconstructing the construct for mathematics instruction, by  Andrew M. Tyminski
• Teachers’ conceptions of representation in middle school mathematics, by Despina A. Stylianou
• Teachers’ self-representations in teaching mathematics, by O. Chapman
• The organization of the mathematics preparation and development of teachers: a report from the ICMI Study 15, by Maria Teresa Tatto, Stephen Lerman and, by Jarmila Novotna

Educational Studies in Mathematics does not have an August issue (next issue is the September issue), but the July issue is out, and this  one also contains five interesting articles:

• What mathematics do teachers with contrasting teaching approaches address in probability lessons? by Ruhama Even and Tova Kvatinsky
• Drawing space: mathematicians’ kinetic conceptions of eigenvectors, by Nathalie Sinclair and Shiva Gol Tabaghi
• Focal event, contextualization, and effective communication in the mathematics classroom, by Per Nilsson and Andreas Ryve
• Zooming in on infinitesimal 1–.9.. in a post-triumvirate era, by Karin Usadi Katz and Mikhail G. Katz
• Mathematical practices in a technological workplace: the role of tools, by Chrissavgi Triantafillou and Despina Potari

Next in line is Mathematical Thinking and Learning. Their issue 3 (of 4 annual issues) is out, containing two articles and two book reviews:

• Teaching for Abstraction: A Model, by Paul White and Michael C. Mitchelmore 
• A Local Instruction Theory for the Development of Number Sense, by Susan D. Nickerson and Ian Whitacre 

NCTM’s Journal for Research in Mathematics Education has also released a July issue, and this issue contains the following articles (along with a book review):

• RESEARCH COMMENTARY: Toward Clarifying the Meanings of Gender in Mathematics Education Research, by Suzanne Damarin and Diana B. Erchick
• The Nature of Arguments Provided by College Geometry Students With Access to Technology While Solving Problems, by Karen F. Hollebrands, AnnaMarie Conner and Ryan C. Smith
• Enacting Proof-Related Tasks in Middle School Mathematics: Challenges and Opportunities, by Kristen N. Bieda
• One Hundred Years of Elementary School Mathematics in the United States: A Content Analysis and Cognitive Assessment of Textbooks From 1900 to 2000, by David Baker, Hilary Knipe, John Collins, Juan Leon, Eric Cummings, Clancy Blair and David Gamson

Last but not least, The Journal of Mathematical Behavior has released a June issue containing the following articles:

• Defining as a mathematical activity: A framework for characterizing progress from informal to more formal ways of reasoning, by Michelle Zandieh, Chris Rasmussen
• A task that elicits reasoning: A dual analysis, by Dina Yankelewitz, Mary Mueller, Carolyn A. Maher
• Are beliefs believable? An investigation of college students’ epistemological beliefs and behavior in mathematics, by Po-Hung Liu
• Collegiate mathematics teaching: An unexamined practice, by Natasha M. Speer, John P. Smith III, Aladar Horvath

So, this should give you enough ideas for articles to catch up with before I start giving more updates on all the new articles that continuously get published within the field of mathematics education research 🙂

The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast is about to release a new issue, which is a double issue this time. All the articles will be available at the journal website once the issue is released, but in the meantime you can check out the table of contents below:

Mathematics education research appears to be blooming in Turkey, at least this is my personal impression about the seemingly increasing number of articles that are published by Turkish researchers. Handan Demircioğlu , Ziya Argün  and Safure Bulut have written an article about A case study: assessment of preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ metacognitive behaviour in the problem-solving process, and this article was recently published online in ZDM. The article reports from one of many studies on problem solving in Turkey, but when the other studies have focused on issues related to beliefs, problem solving strategies, etc., this one has a focus on the teachers’ metacognition. Here is the abstract of their article: