Division of Mathematics Learning and Teaching

In recent years, national attention has focused on the use and role of instructional materials in mathematics education to improve student achievement. New national standards, international comparisons, and demands for increasing accountability suggest the need for broader research and stronger evidence about the effective use of mathematics curricula. Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) proposes a five-year project to understand mathematics curriculum leaders’ needs for research that informs their decision-making, and to increase researchers’ understanding of those needs. The proposed project aims to identify and organize research that is most useful to K–12 mathematics curriculum decision-makers and to develop improved mechanisms for them to make good use of such research. Building on the past work of its K–12 Mathematics Curriculum Center, EDC will conduct applied research on curricular decision-making and increase communication and understanding between the research and practitioner communities. The products of the project will include: Research reports for researchers on practitioners’ needs for mathematics curriculum research, case studies of curriculum decision-making in different contexts, conference presentations, and articles for submission to education research journals. A digital research library to catalog articles and resources on the nature, use, and effectiveness of mathematics instructional materials that practitioners and researchers can readily access according to topic, author, grade level, or title. Seminars and online courses to bridge the gap between the practitioner and research communities. An annual one-day seminar will bring together researchers and curriculum leaders to discuss targeted selection and implementation challenges. A semi-annual online course for curriculum leaders will examine research on mathematics curricula

Effective Use of Mathematical Instructional Materials