Can curriculum materials support teachers' learning? Two fourth-grade teachers' use of a new mathematics text

Abstract

Current wisdom suggests that accomplishing the changes reformers call for in mathematics teaching will require significant learning on the part of teachers. The aim of this study was to examine whether and how a reform-oriented textbook could contribute to such learning. Using case study methods, I analyzed the nature and contexts of 2 fourth-grade teachers' learning during their first year of using a new mathematics textbook. Analyses across the cases revealed key activities involved in teaching and using texts that created opportunities for learning. These activities included analyzing students and mathematical tasks and making decisions about how to proceed, suggesting that materials most likely to foster teacher learning are those that engage teachers in these processes.