An Evaluation of the Primary Fourth-Grade Mathematics Textbook in Jordan in the Light of NCTM Standards: تقويم كتاب الرّياضيّات للصف الرّابع الأساسيّ في الأردن في ضوء معايير (NCTM)

This study aimed at evaluating the content of the Jordanian mathematics textbook for the elementary fourth-grade in order to find out the extent that the fourth-grade mathematics textbook includes the standards of the American national for Council mathematics teachers (NCTM-2000), which concerned with mathematical operations (problem-solving, reasoning and proof, mathematical communication, Connections mathematical, mathematical representation) from the point of view of mathematical Connections teachers in Ma'an Governorate, thus, to find out the reasons for the low achievement of students in mathematics international tests. In order to fulfill these objectives, the descriptive analytical approach was used, that is a list of (NCTM) standards was prepared and changed into a questionnaire which was applied on a sample consisted of (119) male and female mathematics teachers for the primary fourth grade representing the study community. The results of the study showed that the extent to which the basic (NCTM) standards are included in the mathematics book for the fourth grade was at a moderate percentage on average about (2.76), the mathematical connection standard had the highest availability at (3.10), followed by the mathematical communication standard (3.08), the representation of mathematical operation at (2.99) respectively, and the problem solving standard at (2.51), whereas the reasoning and proof standard had the least representation. The findings also indicated there were statistically significant differences with regard to the experience variable and for the favor of (11-and more) category. Regarding the social gender, it did not have an effect. The study sets out several recommendations such as, developing the mathematics curriculum in the light of national standards, increasing the percentage of (NCTM) standards in the fourth-grade mathematics textbook, and the necessity to focus on issues connected with proof and reasoning, and problem solving.

Visions of the Possible: Using Drawings to Elicit and Support Visions of Teaching Mathematics

Mathematics Teacher Educators (MTEs) help preservice teachers in transitioning from students to teachers of mathematics. They support PSTs in shifting what they notice and envision to align with the collective vision encoded in the AMTE and NCTM standards. This study analyzes drawings and descriptions completed at the beginning and end of a one-year teacher education program—snapshots depicting optimized visions of teaching and learning mathematics. This study analyzed drawings-and-descriptions by cohort and by participants. The findings suggest that the task can be used as formative assessment to inform supports for specific PSTs such as choosing a cooperating teacher or coursework that challenges problematic beliefs. It can also be used as summative assessment to inform revision of coursework for the next cohort.

Then: Transparency in My Mathematics Classroom

Transparencies were commonplace in the 1980s when the first NCTM Standards were released. This article reflects on how the use of an overhead projector and transparencies helped to enact the Process Standards - and make the real purpose of learning mathematics more transparent to students.

A Guide to Analyzing Mathematics Tasks and Their Implementation in Curriculum Resources

Since the publication of the NCTM Standards in 1989, which was followed by a new generation of curriculum development projects, the field has seen increasing interest in research on curriculum resources, how they are used by teachers and experienced by students, and the outcomes that they produce. Although some studies seek to draw direct lines between particular curriculum materials used and student outcomes, a majority of researchers argue that understanding whether and how teachers are implementing a given written curriculum resource1 with some measure of fidelity is necessary to determining its effects on learning (Stein, Remillard, & Smith, 2007). Over the last 2 decades, research has expanded to consider how teachers interpret, learn from, interact with, and generate curriculum resources. Over a similar timespan, the number and types of curriculum resources available to teachers have also expanded to include print, digital, and blended comprehensive curricula along with a slew of supplemental resources and tools available through the Internet.