ABSTRACT
Why and for whom is research in mathematics education conducted? Is our research, as some cynically insist, simply an activity pursued by “ivory tower” academics intent on publishing articles read only by other academics? Or, as others believe, is its purpose to promote the development of robust theories about the teaching and learning of mathematics? Some hold yet another view, namely, that research should focus on the pursuit of knowledge that causes real, lasting changes not only in the way people think about learning and teaching, but also in how they act. In this chapter, we discuss these and related questions and propose a way to think about mathematics education research that can serve to move us toward making productive contributions to both policy and practice. The first part of the chapter deals with how (and for whom) research in mathematics education has been carried out; the second discusses what counts as evidence in mathematics education research.
