Researching and Using Progressions (Trajectories) in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The relationship between research and practice has long been an area of interest for researchers, policy makers and practitioners alike. One obvious arena where mathematics education research can make a practical contribution is the design and implementation of school mathematics curricula. This requires research that is fine-grained and focused on individual student learning trajectories as well as large-scale research that explores how student populations engage with the big ideas of mathematics. This research forum brings together work from the United States and Australia on the development and use of evidence-based learning progressions/trajectories in mathematics. In particular, the forum will consider their basis in theory, their focus and scale, and the methods used to identify and validate learning progressions.