ABSTRACT
Throughout the history of mathematics education there has been an emphasis on improving the teaching of mathematics. It seems fair to say that the typical mathematics classroom is teacher-dominated as teachers cover homework, explain new material, and assign homework. Certainly this theme has various nuances, but the general premise seems remarkably stable over the past 100 years. Perhaps we ought not to be surprised, given society’s expectations of what constitutes appropriate schooling. Given the milieu that defines most classrooms and the necessity for teachers to deal with practical problems with limited resources, it is not surprising that reform, however defined, is difficult to achieve in other than limited circumstances. Some reform efforts have focused on curricular changes – for example, the “new math” of the 1960s. Others have focused on professional development programs in which teachers are encouraged to teach mathematics from a process orientation that honors the complexity of tasks and problem-solving behavior. The Standards (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2000), for example, emphasize the importance of process and students acquiring the ability to think quantitatively in real world settings.
