No abstract

Mathematical modelling is a cyclic process in which a modeller evaluates a real-life scenario using mathematics. It is rarely included in the curriculum for pupils prior to secondary school in the United States and is thus unfamiliar to most elementary teachers. In this study, we begin by describing our perspectives and stance on professional development for elementary school teachers in mathematical modelling from both content and pedagogical aspects. We then describe how engaging teachers and students in mathematical modelling promoted mathematical communities of practice through classroom values of relevance, access, and engagement. Findings from a narrative analysis of field notes and transcripts from teacher study groups suggest that when teachers create modelling tasks with these values in mind, modelling provides opportunities for all students to use mathematics to solve problems that matter to them in a way that fosters and benefits community.

No abstract

Robust preparation of future secondary mathematics teachers requires attention to the acquisition of mathematical knowledge for teaching. Many future teachers learn mathematics content primarily through mathematics major courses that are taught by mathematicians who do not specialize in teacher preparation. How can mathematics education researchers assist mathematicians in making explicit connections between the content of undergraduate mathematics courses and the content of secondary mathematics? We present an articulation of five types of connections that can be used in secondary mathematics teacher preparation and give examples of question prompts that mathematicians can use as applications of teaching secondary mathematics in undergraduate mathematics courses.

This paper introduces lessons designed to incorporate applications to teaching high school mathematics in an undergraduate Discrete Mathematics course. Because many prospective high school teachers do not take courses that are specifically designed for teachers, providing materials aimed at teacher preparation that can be easily integrated into courses that serve a general mathematics major is one strategy for addressing mathematics teacher preparation. We developed lessons using four guiding features: choosing appropriate content; making school mathematics connections; incorporating active learning; and providing robust lesson notes. Our interview-based findings document how the lessons were used by instructors and analyze the mathematical ideas and understandings that arose from the use of the lessons at two different sites.