Abstract
This study investigates US teachers’ cultural beliefs concerning effective mathematics teaching using semi-structured interviews with 11 experienced teachers. For US teachers, effective teaching is student-centered. Cognitively appropriate mathematical content should be understood through many hands-on activities that allow students to explore by themselves the relationship between mathematical knowledge and their life experiences. Correspondingly, the US teachers view an effective teacher as a facilitator who is sensitive to student social and cognitive needs and is skillful at organizing collaborative learning. The result of this study helps researchers and educators understand the student-centered learning model in US classrooms.
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Acknowledgments
The research discussed in this paper was supported by grants from the Spencer Foundation. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Spencer Foundation. We gratefully acknowledge the valuable assistance of Vic Cifarelli for data collection.
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Wang, T., Cai, J. United States teachers’ views of effective mathematics teaching and learning. ZDM Mathematics Education 39, 315–327 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-007-0031-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-007-0031-6