Skip to main content

Situating Research on Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs and on Change

  • Chapter
Beliefs: A Hidden Variable in Mathematics Education?

Part of the book series: Mathematics Education Library ((MELI,volume 31))

Abstract

The six chapters in this section focus on studying teachers’ beliefs with a particular concern for how those beliefs might change in order to improve the teaching of mathematics in our schools. Five of the chapters draw on empirical studies whilst the sixth gives an overview of recent research to investigate how researchers interpret teachers’ beliefs and what evidence they use for their claims. There are important theoretical analyses offered and fascinating stories told of teachers and by teachers concerning their beliefs and their practices. In the first part of this review I will draw out some of the key themes in the six chapters and indicate commonalities and differences. My contribution in the second section will be to try to situate these studies within research in the mathematics education community in order to point out some alternative orientations for the study of teachers and teaching-and-learning mathematics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Atweh, W., Forgasz, H., & Nebres, B. (Eds.). (2001). Socio-cultural aspects in mathematics education: An international perspective. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum & Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, B. (1999). Vertical and horizontal discourse: an essay, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 20(2), 157–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, B., & Dunne, M. (1999). Assessing children’s mathematical knowledge. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, H. (2000). Bernstein and activity theory. Paper presented at symposium Towards a sociology of pedagogy: The contribution of Basil Bernstein to research, June, book of papers published by Department of Education and Centre for Educational Research, School Science, University of Lisbon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ensor, P. (1999). A study of the recontextualising of pedagogic practices from a South African university preservice mathematics teacher education course by seven beginning secondary mathematics teachers. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, J. T. (2000). Adults’ mathematical thinking and emotions: a study of numerate practices. London: Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kilpatrick, J. (1992). A history of research in mathematics education. In D. A. Grouws (Ed.), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning (pp. 3–38). New York: MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J. (1988). Cognition in practice: Mind, mathematics and culture in everyday life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, H. (1991). Situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, S. (2000a). The social turn in mathematics education research. In J. Boaler (Ed.), Multiple perspectives on mathematics teaching and learning, (pp. 19–44). Westport, CT: Ablex.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, S. (2000b). A case of interpretations of social: A response to Steffe and Thompson. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 31(2), 210–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, S. (2001a). A review of research perspectives on mathematics teacher education. In F-L Lin & T. Cooney (Eds.), Making sense of mathematics teacher education (pp. 33–52). Dordrecht: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, S. (2001b). Getting used to mathematics: alternative ways of speaking about becoming mathematical. Ways of Knowing, 1(1), 47–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, S., & Tsatsaroni, A. (1998). Why children fail and what mathematics education studies can do about it: The role of sociology. In P. Gates (Ed.), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Mathematics Education and Society (pp. 26–33). Centre for the Study of Mathematics Education, University of Nottingham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merrtens, R., & Wood, D. (2000). Sea changes in mathematics education. Mathematics Teaching, No. 172, 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, C., Tsatsaroni, A., & Lerman, S. (in press) Mathematics teachers’ positions and practices in discourses of assessment. British Journal of Sociology of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popkewitz, T. S. (1996) Rethinking decentralization and state/civil society distinctions: The state as a problematic of governing. Journal of Education Policy, 11(1), 27–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schifter, D. (1998). Learning mathematics for teaching: From a teachers’ seminar to the classroom. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 1(1), 55–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schifter, D. (Ed.). (1995). What’s happening in math class? Reconstructing professional identities Vol. 2. New York: Teacher’s College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schutz, A. (2000). Teaching freedom? Postmodern perspectives. Review of Educational Research, 70(2), 215–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steffe, L. P., & Thompson, P. W. (2000). Interaction or intersubjectivity?: A reply to Lerman. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 31(2), 191–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, M. K., & Brown, C. A. (1997) Teacher learning in a social context: Social interaction as a source of significant teacher change in mathematics. In E. Fennema, & B. S. Nelson (Eds.), Mathematics Teachers in Transition (pp. 155–191). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wertsch, J. V. (1991). Voices of the mind: A sociocultural approach to mediated action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lerman, S. (2002). Situating Research on Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs and on Change. In: Leder, G.C., Pehkonen, E., Törner, G. (eds) Beliefs: A Hidden Variable in Mathematics Education?. Mathematics Education Library, vol 31. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47958-3_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47958-3_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-1057-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-47958-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics