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An investigation of teachers’ intentions and reflections about using Standards-based and traditional textbooks in the classroom

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Abstract

This study analyzed teachers’ intentions for and reflections on their use of Standards-based [Connected Mathematics Program (CMP)] textbooks and traditional (non-CMP) mathematics textbooks to guide instruction. In this investigation of the interplay between textbooks and instruction, we focused on learning goals, instructional tasks, teachers’ anticipation of students’ difficulties, and their perceptions of students’ achievement of learning goals. All of these are aspects of teachers’ intentions and reflections that have proved fruitful in comparing the roles of the CMP and non-CMP mathematics textbooks in our Longitudinal Investigation of the Effect of Curriculum on Algebra Learning project. Whereas the cognitive level of the teachers’ intended learning goals appeared generally to reflect the emphases of their respective textbooks, we found that the CMP teachers’ intended learning goals were not as well aligned with the CMP textbooks as the non-CMP teachers’ learning goals were aligned with their non-CMP textbooks. The CMP and non-CMP teachers’ implementations of the lessons seemed to reduce the degree of difference between the cognitive levels of their intended goals. Even so, we found that significantly more CMP lessons than non-CMP lessons were implemented at a high level of cognitive demand. Although the non-CMP teachers’ intended learning goals were better aligned with their textbook’s learning goals, we found that the CMP teachers were more likely than the non-CMP teachers to follow the guidance of their textbooks in designing and selecting instructional tasks for a lesson. Future research should consider other aspects of teachers’ intentions and reflections that may shed a broader light on the role of textbooks and curriculum materials in teachers’ crafting of instructional experiences for their students.

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Acknowledgments

The research reported here is supported by Grants from the National Science Foundation (ESI-0454739 and DRL-1008536). Any opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Science Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Delaware, 523 Ewing Hall, Newark, DE, 19716, USA

    Bikai Nie, Tony Freedman, Stephen Hwang & Jinfa Cai

  2. Widener University, Chester, USA

    Ning Wang

  3. Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA

    John C. Moyer

Authors
  1. Bikai Nie
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  2. Tony Freedman
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  3. Stephen Hwang
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  4. Ning Wang
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  5. John C. Moyer
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  6. Jinfa Cai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinfa Cai.

Appendices

Appendix A: Teacher interview questions

1.1 Before the lesson: pre-observation conversation with the teacher

1. What is the main topic of the lesson?

2. What are the primary learning goals or objectives in this lesson?

3. Where is the lesson situated within the unit? How will the present lesson connect to previous or subsequent lessons? What do you assume your students already know?

4. Do you anticipate any potential difficulties in delivering the lesson? If so, how do you plan to handle them if they arise?

5. Do you anticipate any difficulties the students will have with the mathematics in the lesson?

6. Have you taught this lesson before?

7. What kind of questions do you plan to ask on a quiz or exam based on the contents of this lesson?

1.2 After the lesson: post-observation interview with the teacher

1. Looking back, what made you decide to choose the particular examples/problems you used?

2. Now that you have taught the lesson, please reflect on the effectiveness of using these examples/problems in this lesson.

3. For this lesson, the main goal you had for your students was: ________________ (see question 2 of the pre-observation interview). Do you think your students reached the goal?

4. What will the next lesson look like?

5. What kind of questions will you ask on a quiz or exam based on the contents of this lesson?

Appendix B: Observed goals and curricular goals

figure a

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Nie, B., Freedman, T., Hwang, S. et al. An investigation of teachers’ intentions and reflections about using Standards-based and traditional textbooks in the classroom. ZDM Mathematics Education 45, 699–711 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-013-0493-7

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