Abstract
While reports of teachers’ use of curriculum materials are common, that of teachers as designers of their own materials are far less so. We argue that these (rare) instructional materials, defined as materials that are classroom-ready and that carry the teachers’ actual instructional goals, are ‘objects’ that are suitable as records of teachers’ planning and learning when developed alongside professional development. We provide supporting evidence of this claim and unpack the complexities of interacting instructional goals through a case study of a teacher who (re-)designed her own instructional materials as she participated in professional development. From the findings of the case, we reflect on the educational and methodological implications of pursing this research approach.
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Notes
The reader may realize that we are using language that approximates that of “thinking fast and slow” by Kahneman (2011). In a separate interview with Meng Tin, she acknowledged that she was indeed influenced by Kahneman’s different systems of thinking and she was seeking opportunities to train students to switch to a “think slow” mode at suitable junctures.
‘Worksheet’ is the language Singapore teachers tend to use for IM.
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The research reported in this paper is funded by the Office of Educational Research, National Institute of Education, Singapore.
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Leong, Y.H., Yeo, B.W.J. & Choy, B.H. Instructional materials as a site to study teachers’ planning and learning. Math Ed Res J 34, 575–598 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-022-00430-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-022-00430-0