The professional education and development of mathematics teachers

Prof. Ruhama Even

Summary

There is broad agreement today that the professional education and development of teachers is key to improving students’ opportunities to learn mathematics. Yet, past experience suggests that supporting teachers’ learning is not a trivial task, and typical learning opportunities for mathematics teachers are often believed to be inadequate. I began a research and development program in this area more than two decades ago. Some components of this comprehensive long-term undertaking center on the process of professional education and development of mathematics teachers and of mathematics teacher educators; others center on its product, namely knowledge and practice of mathematics teachers and of mathematics teacher educators.

Related Projects

Related publications (in English)

  • Even, R. (1990). Subject matter knowledge for teaching and the case of functions. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 21, 521-544.
  • Even, R. (1992). The inverse function: prospective teachers’ use of “undoing”. International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 23(4), 557-562.
  • Even, R. (1993). Subject-matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge: prospective secondary teachers and the function concept. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 24(2), 94-116.
  • Even, R., & Markovits, Z. (1993). Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of functions: characterization and applications. Journal of Structural Learning, 12(1), 35-51.
  • Even, R., Tirosh, D., & Robinson, N. (1993). Connectedness in teaching equivalent algebraic expressions: novice versus expert teaching. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 5(1), 50-59.
  • Even, R. & Lappan, G. (1994). Constructing meaningful understanding of mathematics content. In D. B. Aichele & A. F. Coxford (Eds.), Professional development for teachers of mathematics, 1994 Yearbook (pp. 128-143). Reston, VA: NCTM.
  • Even, R. & Tirosh, D. (1995). Subject-matter knowledge and knowledge about students as sources of teacher presentations of the subject matter. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 29(1), 1-20.
  • Even, R. & Markovits, Z. (1995). Some aspects of teachers’ and students’ views on student reasoning and knowledge construction. International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 26(4), 531-544.
  • Tirosh, D., Even, R., & Robinson, N. (1998). Simplifying algebraic expressions: Teacher awareness and teaching approaches. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 35, 51-64.
  • Even, R. (1998). Factors involved in linking representations of functions. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 17(1), 105-121.
  • Even, R. (1999). The development of teacher-leaders and in-service teacher educators. Journal for Mathematics Teacher Education, 2, 3-24.
  • Even, R. (1999). Integrating academic and practical knowledge in a teacher leaders’ development program. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 38, 235-252.
  • Markovits, Z. & Even, R. (1999). The decimal point situation: A close look at the use of mathematics-classroom-situations in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 15(6), 653-665.
  • Markovits, Z. & Even, R. (1999). Mathematics classroom situations: in-service course for elementary school teachers. In: B. Jaworski, T. Wood, & A. J. Dawson (Eds.), Mathematics teacher education: Critical international perspectives (pp. 59-67). London, UK: Falmer Press.
  • Hofstein, A. & Even, R. (2001). Developing chemistry and mathematics teacher leaders in Israel. In: C. R. Nesbit, J. D. Wallace, D. K. Pugalee, A-C. Miller, & W. J. DiBiase (Eds.), Developing teacher leaders in science and mathematics: The role of professional development (pp. 189-208). Columbus, OH: ERIC Center for Mathematics, Science and Environmental Education.
  • Even, R. & Tirosh, D. (2002). Teacher knowledge and understanding of students’ mathematical learning. In L. English (Ed.), Handbook of international research in mathematics education (pp. 219-240). Mahwah, NJ: Laurence Erlbaum.
  • Even, R. (2003). What can teachers learn from research in mathematics education? For the learning of mathematics, 23(3), 38-42.
  • Even, R., Robinson, N., & Carmeli, M. (2003). The work of providers of professional development for teachers of mathematics: Two case studies of experienced practitioners. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 1(2), 227-249.
  • Even, R. & Wallach, T. (2004). Between student observation and student assessment: A critical reflection. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education, 4(4), 483-495.
  • Even, R. (2005). Integrating knowledge and practice at MANOR in the development of providers of professional development for teachers. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 8(4), 343-357.
  • Even, R. (2005). Using assessment to inform instructional decisions: How hard can it be? Mathematics Educational Research Journal, 17(3), 51-67.
  • Wallach, T, & Even, R. (2005). Hearing students: The complexity of understanding what they are saying, showing, and doing. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 8(5), 393-417.
  • Ayalon, M. & Even, R. (2008). Deductive reasoning: In the eye of the beholder. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 69(3), 235-247.
  • Even, R. & Tirosh, D. (2008). Teacher knowledge and understanding of students’ mathematical learning and thinking. In L. English (Ed.), Handbook of international research in mathematics education, second edition (pp. 202-222). UK: Routledge.
  • Even, R. (2008). Facing the challenge of educating educators to work with practicing mathematics teachers. In B. Jaworski & T. Wood (Eds.), The international handbook of mathematics teacher education: The mathematics teacher educator as a developing professional (pp. 57-73). Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.
  • Even, R. & Ball, D. L. (Eds.) (2009). The professional education and development of teachers of mathematics – the 15th ICMI Study. New York, NY: Springer.
  • Even, R. & Ball, D. L. (2009). Setting the stage for the ICMI Study on the professional education and development of teachers of mathematics. In R. Even & D. L. Ball (Eds.), The professional education and development of teachers of mathematics – the 15th ICMI Study (pp. 1-10). New York, NY: Springer.
  • Ball, D. L. & Even, R. (2009). Strengthening practice in and research on the professional education and development of teachers of mathematics: Next steps. In R. Even & D. L. Ball (Eds.), The professional education and development of teachers of mathematics – the 15th ICMI Study (pp. 255-260). New York, NY: Springer.
  • Ayalon, M. & Even, R. (2010). Mathematics educators’ views on mathematics learning and the development of deductive reasoning. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 8, 1131-1154.
  • Even, R. & Gottlib, O. (2011). Responding to students: Enabling a significant role for students in the class discourse. In Y. Li, & G. Kaiser (Eds.), Expertise in mathematics instruction: An international perspective (pp. 109-129). New York: Springer.
  • Even, R. (2011). The relevance of advanced mathematics to teaching secondary school mathematics: practitioners’ views. ZDM – The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 43, 941-950. DOI 10.1007/s11858-011-0346-1.
  • Even, R. (2012). The education of teacher educators. In N. M. Seel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning (pp. 1073-1075). Springer.
  • Even, R. & Krainer, K. (in press). Education of mathematics teacher educators. In S. Lerman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer.
  • Even, R. & Olsher, S. (in press). Teachers as participants in textbook development: The Integrated Mathematics Wiki-book Project. In Y. Li, & Lappan, G. (Eds.) Mathematics Curriculum in School Education. Springer.

Related publications (in Hebrew)

  • Series Innovator and Chief Editor of the Manor Resource File Series – research-, theory- and practice-based materials for use by mathematics teacher educators and providers of professional development.
  • Hirshfeld, N., Robinson, N., Radai, O., & Even, R. (1996). Resource File: Algebra. Rehovot, Israel: MANOR, Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • Even, R., Gottlib, O., & Hirshfeld, N. (Eds.) (1998). Resource File: Functions. Rehovot: MANOR, Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • Shamash, J. (1998). Resource File: ?. Rehovot: MANOR, Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • Hirshfeld, N. & Robinson, N. (2001). Resource File: Teaching mathematics in heterogeneous classes. Rehovot, Israel: MANOR, Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • Gottlib, O., Shamash, J. & Dreyfus, T. (2003). Resource File: Limits. Rehovot: MANOR, Weizmann Institute of Science.
  • Even, R., et al. (2001). Position paper on the advancement of junior-high mathematics teaching. Rehovot, Israel: MANOR, Weizmann Institute of Science. https://stwww1.weizmann.ac.il/manor