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The relationship of teachers' conceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching to instructional practice

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Abstract

Case studies were conducted to investigate the conceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching held by three junior high school teachers. Examination of the relationship between conceptions and practice showed that the teachers' beliefs, views, and preferences about mathematics and its teaching played a significant, albeit subtle, role in shaping their instructional behavior. Differences among the teachers in their conceptions and practices are explained followed by a discussion of properties of their conceptual systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, San Diego State University, 92182-0138, San Diego, CA, USA

    Alba Gonzalez Thompson

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  1. Alba Gonzalez Thompson
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This paper is based on the author's doctoral dissertation which was directed by Professor Thomas J. Cooney of the University of Georgia and was partly supported by a grant from San Diego State University. I wish to express my appreciation to the teachers who participated in the study and their administrators.

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Gonzalez Thompson, A. The relationship of teachers' conceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching to instructional practice. Educ Stud Math 15, 105–127 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305892

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