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Linking Research to Practice: Teachers as Key Stakeholders in Mathematics Education Research

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Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 27))

Abstract

Teachers are regarded as having a major role in the development of mathematics teaching and students’ learning. Nevertheless, in much mathematics education research, teachers are viewed as recipients, and sometimes even as means to generate or disseminate knowledge, thus conserving a distinctive gap between research and practice. The theme of this chapter is to regard teachers as key stakeholders in research (i.e., as (co-)producers of professional and/or scientific knowledge) in order to make the link between research and practice more fruitful for both sides. After exploring the concept of stakeholder, the authors present five international examples, all of them involving teachers researching their own or their colleagues’ practice. An analysis of the commonalities and differences among these examples reveals the presence of three important dimensions of research where teachers are key stakeholders: reflective, inquiry-based activity with respect to teaching action; a significant action-research component accompanied by the creation of research artefacts by the teachers (sometimes assisted by university researchers); and the dynamic duality of research and professional development. This chapter illustrates how traditional barriers between research and practice are being replaced by synergistic interactions between the two, enabling the intersection of the two worlds.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Nadine Bednarz, Beth Herbel-Eisenmann, Barbara Jaworski, Minoru Ohtani, Rongjin Huang, Jiansheng Bao, and many others, for the information they have provided, either directly or indirectly, about the projects and programs presented in this chapter. We also appreciate the feedback received from the reviewers and editors on earlier versions of this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada

    Carolyn Kieran

  2. Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria

    Konrad Krainer

  3. Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    J. Michael Shaughnessy

Authors
  1. Carolyn Kieran
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  2. Konrad Krainer
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  3. J. Michael Shaughnessy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolyn Kieran .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Illinois State University, n/a, Normal, 61790-4520, Illinois, USA

    M.A. (Ken) Clements

  2. Fac. Education, Centre for Science, Mathematics &, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia

    Alan J. Bishop

  3. FB Erziehungswissenschaft und, Psychologie, FU Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, Berlin, 14195, Germany

    Christine Keitel

  4. Dept. Mathematics Education, University of Georgia, Aderhold Hall 105, Athens, 30602-7124, Georgia, USA

    Jeremy Kilpatrick

  5. Fac. Education, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

    Frederick K.S. Leung

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Kieran, C., Krainer, K., Shaughnessy, J.M. (2012). Linking Research to Practice: Teachers as Key Stakeholders in Mathematics Education Research. In: Clements, M., Bishop, A., Keitel, C., Kilpatrick, J., Leung, F. (eds) Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 27. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4684-2_12

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