Understanding Mathematics And Science Matters

by Romberg; Thomas A.

• ISBN13: 9780805846942
• ISBN10: 0805846948
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-02-17
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The research reported in this book provides reliable evidence on and knowledge about mathematics and science instruction that emphasizes student understanding--instruction consistent with the needs of students who will be citizens in an increasingly demanding technological world. The National Center for Improving Student Learning in Mathematics and Science--established in 1996 as a research center and funded by the U.S. Department of Education--was instrumental in developing instructional practices supportive of high student achievement in and understanding of mathematics and science concepts. NCISLA researchers worked with teachers, students, and administrators to construct learning environments that exemplify current research and theory about effective learning of mathematics and science. The careful programs of research conducted examined how instructional content and design, assessment, professional development, and organizational support can be designed, implemented, and orchestrated to support the learning of all students. This book presents a summary of the concepts, findings, and conclusions of the Center's research from 1996-2001. In the Introduction, the chapters inUnderstanding Mathematics and Science Mattersare situated in terms of the reform movement in school mathematics and school science. Three thematically structured sections focus on, respectively, research directed toward what is involved when students learn mathematics and science with understanding; research on the role of teachers and the problems they face when attempting to teach their students mathematics and science with understanding; and a collaboration among some of the contributors to this volume to gather information about classroom assessment practices and organizational support for reform. The goal of this book is to help educational practitioners, policymakers, and the general public to see the validity of the reform recommendations, understand the recommended guidelines, and to use these to transform teaching and learning of mathematics and science in U.S. classrooms.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
PART I: INTRODUCTION
1 Standards-Based Reform and Teaching for Understanding	3	(26)
Thomas A. Romberg, Thomas P. Carpenter, and Joan Kwako
PART II: LEARNING WITH UNDERSTANDING
2 Developing Modeling and Argument in the Elementary Grades	29	(26)
Richard Lehrer and Leona Schauble
3 The Generative Potential of Students' Everyday Knowledge in Learning Science	55	(26)
Ann S. Rosebery, Beth Warren, Cindy Ballenger, and Mark Ogonowski
4 Developing Algebraic Reasoning in the Elementary School	81	(18)
Thomas P. Carpenter, Linda Levi, Patricia Williams Berman, and Margaret Pligge
5 A Teacher-Centered Approach to Algebrafying Elementary Mathematics	99	(28)
James J. Kaput and Maria L. Blanton
6 Statistical Data Analysis: A Tool for Learning	127	(32)
Kay McClain, Paul Cobb, and Koeno Gravemeijer
7 Modeling for Understanding in Science Education	159	(26)
Jim Stewart, Cynthia Passmore, Jennifer Cartier, John Rudolph, and Sam Donovan
8 Learning Mathematics in High School: Symbolic Places and Family Resemblances	185	(24)
Ricardo Nemirovsky, Apolinario Barros, Tracy Noble, Marty Schnepp, and Jesse Solomon
PART III: TEACHING FOR UNDERSTANDING
9 Changing Teachers' Professional Work in Mathematics: One School's Journey	209	(22)
Megan Franke, Elham Kazemi, Jeff Shih, Stephanie Biagetti, and Daniel Battey
10 Teacher Collaboration: Focusing on Problems of Practice	231	(22)
David C. Webb, Thomas A. Romberg, Michael J. Ford, and Jack Burrill
11 Managing Uncertainty and Creating Technical Knowledge	253	(26)
Walter G. Secada and Tona Williams
PART IV: CROSS-CUTTING STUDIES
12 Research in Assessment Practices	279	(28)
Jan de Lange and Thomas A. Romberg
13 Capacity for Change: Organizational Support for Teaching for Understanding	307	(16)
Adam Gamoran
Postscript	323	(4)
Author Index	327	(6)
Subject Index	333

Excerpts

"The research reported in this book focuses on providing reliable evidence on and knowledge about forms of mathematics and science instruction that emphasize student understanding. It responds to the need to shift the conception of mathematics and science instruction in schools from the "assembly-line" model consistent with the mechanistic views of the nineteenth century to one that is consistent with the dynamic views of the emerging technological world." "In the Introduction, the chapters in Understanding Mathematics and Science Matters are situated in terms of the reform movement in school mathematics and school science. Three thematically structured sections focus, respectively, on research directed toward what is involved when students learn mathematics and science with understanding; research on the role and problems teachers face when attempting to teach their students mathematics and science with understanding; and a collaboration among some of the contributors to this volume to gather information about classroom assessment practices and organizational support for reform." "The goal of this volume is to help educational practitioners, policymakers, and the general public to see the validity of the reform recommendations, to understand the recommended guidelines, and to use these to transform teaching and learning of mathematics and science in U.S. classrooms."--BOOK JACKET.