scholarly journals Future themes of mathematics education research: an international survey before and during the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Arthur Bakker ◽  
Jinfa Cai ◽  
Linda Zenger

AbstractBefore the pandemic (2019), we asked: On what themes should research in mathematics education focus in the coming decade? The 229 responses from 44 countries led to eight themes plus considerations about mathematics education research itself. The themes can be summarized as teaching approaches, goals, relations to practices outside mathematics education, teacher professional development, technology, affect, equity, and assessment. During the pandemic (November 2020), we asked respondents: Has the pandemic changed your view on the themes of mathematics education research for the coming decade? If so, how? Many of the 108 respondents saw the importance of their original themes reinforced (45), specified their initial responses (43), and/or added themes (35) (these categories were not mutually exclusive). Overall, they seemed to agree that the pandemic functions as a magnifying glass on issues that were already known, and several respondents pointed to the need to think ahead on how to organize education when it does not need to be online anymore. We end with a list of research challenges that are informed by the themes and respondents’ reflections on mathematics education research.

1994 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 711-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie P. Steffe ◽  
Thomas Kieren

Our intention in this article is to provide an interpretation of the influence of constructivist thought on mathematics educators starting around 1960 and proceeding on up to the present time. First, we indicate how the initial influence of constructivist thought stemmed mainly from Piaget's cognitive-development psychology rather than from his epistemology. In this, we point to what in retrospect appears to be inevitable distortions in the interpretations of Piaget 's psychology due primarily to its interpretation in the framework of Cartesian epistemology. Second, we identify a preconstructivist revolution in research in mathematics education beginning in 1970 and proceeding on up to 1980. There were two subperiods in this decade separated by Ernst von Glasersfeld's presentation of radical constructivism to the Jean Piaget Society in Philadelphia in 1975. Third, we mark the beginning of the constructivist revolution in mathematics education research by the publication of two important papers in the JRME (Richards & von Glasersfeld, 1980; von Glasersfeld, 1981). Fourth, we indicate how the constructivist revolution in mathematics education research served as a period of preparation for the reform movement that is currently underway in school mathematics.


2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-5
Author(s):  
Glendon W. Blume

Because JRME is a research journal, its value to those who conduct research in mathematics education is obvious. What may not be as obvious, however, is that JRME articles also have the potential to benefit another audience, namely, mathematics education practitioners. Research articles in JRME (and those in other mathematics education research journals, as well) can offer to practitioners helpful information and a variety of tools that have the potential to be useful in their work. The variety of “practitioners” who can benefit from research articles in JRME includes those who teach mathematics at the prekindergarten through collegiate levels, teacher educators who work with prospective mathematics teachers at any of those levels, mathematics coaches or supervisors who serve as school- or district-based leaders for groups of mathematics teachers, teacher educators who engage in-service mathematics teachers in professional development, and even researchers who teach others about mathematics education research.


2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 552-556
Author(s):  
Bharath Sriraman

The third edition of the Handbook of International Research in Mathematics Education (henceforth, HIRME) comes at an interesting time for the community of mathematics education researchers because it tackles two essential problems for the community, namely, (a) what constitutes “great challenges” for the field, in the opening chapter, and (b) how scalable mathematics education research is, in the concluding chapter.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 228-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maisie L. Gholson ◽  
Charles E. Wilkes

This chapter reviews two strands of identity-based research in mathematics education related to Black children, exemplified by Martin (2000) and Nasir (2002). Identity-based research in mathematics education is a burgeoning field that is disrupting narratives around the meanings of mathematical competence and brilliance. We argue that the identities of Black children as doers and knowers of mathematics are often confused (or mistaken) with stereotypical images of various social identities, as well as wrongly confiscated (or mis-taken), in order to perpetuate persistent narratives of inferiority, criminality, and general ineducability of these children. We use Black children as a particular example within the mathematics education research literature and argue that children within a so-called “collective Black” are subject to the same racial scripts that organize mathematics teaching and learning. While we acknowledge that important lines of identity-based research have emerged to reclaim the rightful identities of Black children and those within the collective Black, we conclude with a critique of this recent literature in which we note the troubling exclusion of girls and young children.


2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 430-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia W. Langrall

For the last 4.5 years, I have been immersed in the work of editing the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. I could talk for hours about reading manuscripts and reviews, writing decision letters, interacting with authors, editing manuscripts to prepare them for publication, my reflections on the research that has been published in the journal, and my reflections on the research that has not been published, but this talk is not about me. I want to focus on the journal itself, its past and its future, and what it means to us–the mathematics education research community. Also, I will be talking about unicorns, mastodons, and ants. So bear with me, this will not be a typical math ed. talk (and I might have gotten a little carried away with the mastodons). Let's begin this tale.


1993 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Frank K. Lester

In the final issue (November 1992) of his term as editor of the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Tom Carpenter noted that research in mathematics education has been undergoing a paradigm shift. Evidence of this shift is seen in the substantial increase in recent years in the number of research reports representing methodologies that have previously not been common in mathematics education. This increase is due in large part to Tom's receptiveness to publishing research based on alternative paradigms. Mo reover, as open as he was to increasing the scope of the journal, he insisted on doing so without lowering the standards of excellence that we have come to expect. Under Tom's capable guidance the journal has continued to grow in stature, and as a result, mathematics education research has continued to mature as a field of inquiry. As the new editor I will strive to uphold Tom's standards of editorial excellence while continuing to encourage a wide range of ideologies and methodologies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-215
Author(s):  
M. Kathleen Heid

Investigating the teaching and learning of mathematics is an international enterprise, and the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education regularly benefits from the insightful contributions of reviewers and authors from every corner of the earth. JRME has long been considered one of the top international journals in mathematics education research with a worldwide community of researchers in mathematics education among its authors, reviewers, and readers. As a matter of practice, the Editorial Panel of the journal seeks international scholars to help in reviewing submissions. Reviewers regularly advise authors on how to expand their articles for a broader audience and identify those articles that are likely to have a global appeal. Over the past few years, a major source of advice was been the JRME International Advisory Board (IAB): Janet Ainley, Toshiakira Fujii, Koeno Gravemeijer, Lucia Grugnetti, Gilah Leder, and Renuka Vithal. In addition to providing reviews on a regular basis, the IAB has the responsibility for advising the Editorial Panel on maintaining the international visibility and responsiveness of the journal. During the past year, using Internet capabilities and careful coordination of timing, we were able to involve members of the IAB in a portion of the regular meeting of the Editorial Board.


2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-504
Author(s):  
Keith R. Leatham ◽  
Kate R. Johnson ◽  
Steven R. Jones

In MasterClass in Mathematics Education: International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning, editors Paul Andrews and Tim Rowland introduce research in mathematics education in the tradition of a Master Class. Each of the 17 chapters is organized around a set of core readings (four such readings for all but one chapter). Authors were asked “to include some commentary and/or exposition of the readings, and to set them in the broader context of ideas and methods to which they belong” (p. xiv). Each team of authors is actively engaged in research related to the topic of their chapter. This familiarity gives the reader a sense of having an “insider's view” into the topics as well as an appreciation of the perspective (among many possibilities) that the chapter imparts with regard to the given topic. Throughout this review, we refer to the intended audience for this book–a novice to mathematics education research–as “the reader,” and to one who might assign or recommend the book to such a reader as “the mentor.” The two main purposes of this review are (a) to aid the mentor in deciding how to use this book with the reader and (b) to aid the reader as they use the book and are introduced to research in mathematics education. Thus, we hope the mentor will consider assigning this review as introductory reading. We have organized the review into three main sections. The first contains brief summaries of each of the 17 chapters, the second a critique of how well the book fulfills its primary purposes (as outlined in its preface), and the third our overall recommendations for use of the book.


2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R. Williams ◽  
Keith R. Leatham

We present the results of 2 studies, a citation-based study and an opinion-based study, that ranked the relative quality of 20 English-language journals that exclusively or extensively publish mathematics education research. We further disaggregate the opinion-based data to provide insights into variations in judgment of journal quality based on geographic location, journal affiliations and publishing records, and experience in the field. We also report factors that survey respondents indicated were important indicators of journal quality. Finally, we compare our results to previous related rankings and conclude by discussing how our results might inform authors, editors, and evaluators in their efforts to publish and recognize quality research in mathematics education.


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