The Contribution of Technology to the Implementation of Mathematics Education Reform: Case Studies of Grade 1–3 Teaching

Previous research suggests that access to technology contributes to the implementation of mathematics education reform. This case study of three primary (grade 1–3) teachers investigated how access to computers and math teaching software influenced nine dimensions of reform. Teachers were selected on the basis of their commitment to math reform and their technological literacy. Interviews and observations over five months found that technology had its greatest impact by helping teachers expand the scope of their programs and by promoting positive attitudes toward math. Teachers adapted computer tasks to fit their off-line activities, heightening or depleting the contribution of technology to reform. The computer promoted equity of access to all forms and strands of mathematics but this did not necessarily ensure that all students had access to higher math. None of the teachers realized the potential of the computer to increase student-student construction of mathematical ideas, in part because of hardware problems but more because of their decision to assign students to individual computer tasks.

Soundoff!–Mathematics Reform for K-16

The past ten years have seen a remarkable amount of progress in improving mathematics education at all levels. The goal is to enable all students, including those from all racial and ethnic backgrounds and both sexes, to master and appreciate mathematics. The emphasis is on understanding mathematics instead of thoughtlessly grinding out answers. For various reasons. resistance is increasing to what is usually called “math reform,” which reflects some serious concerns that need to be addressed.

Teachers' Reasons for Instructional Decisions

One of the lessons learned from the “new math” reform movement of the sixties is that effecting lasting change requires more than developing curriculum materials at a national level for adoption at the local level (National Research Council 1989; NCTM 1989; Mumme and Weissglass 1989). Lasting reform also requires directly involving teachers in curriculum development so that they have “ownership” of the product (National Research Council 1989). This ownership is necessary because teachers act as curriculum filters (Holmes Group 1986; Porter et al. 1988; Romberg 1988).