SIXTH GRADE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS IN TRANSITION: A CASE STUDY
Cheryl D. Roddick and Trisha A. Bergthold
San Jose State University
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This empirical study reports on the evolution of two sixth grade mathematics teachers’ teaching
practices over two years of professional development activities. The final year of professional
development consisted of a project that aimed to (1) develop a cohesive year-long sixth-grade
mathematics curriculum that addresses the California state mathematics standards, and (2)
facilitate and support two sixth-grade teachers in the implementation of, reflection on, and
revisions of the developed curriculum. Analysis of journal entries, classroom observations, and
interviews led to an emerging picture of how these teachers’ knowledge, perspectives, and
classroom practices changed over the course of the project, leading to several implications for
professional development.
Describing the effects of professional development activities is of critical importance in
designing effective means of improving teaching practices. There is precedent for investigating
such activities. See Becker and Pence (2003); Farmer, Gerretson, and Lassak (2003); and
Murata and Takahashi (2002). However, a report by RAND (2003) suggests that professional
development practices have not received sufficient attention from mathematics education
researchers, and that there is a critical need for better descriptions of successful professional
development practices.
In this case study we describe two sixth grade mathematics teachers in transition, relative to
the second of two years of professional development activities. These teachers initially pursued
professional development opportunities out of a desire to improve their teaching in the face of
new demands for accountability and increasingly complex school structures. After a year of
professional development institutes focused on mathematical content, these teachers expressed a
desire for more practice-oriented professional development activities that would help them
actually implement some of their new-found mathematical and pedagogical content knowledge
in the classroom while accounting for some of the real challenges they faced on a daily basis.
This need provided the impetus for us to design and implement an intensive year-long
professional development project with these two teachers.
Objectives
The goals of this professional development project were to (1) develop a cohesive year-long
sixth-grade mathematics curriculum that addresses the California state mathematics standards,
and (2) facilitate and support two sixth-grade teachers in the implementation of, reflection on,
and revisions of the developed curriculum. At the same time, we planned to study the effects of
our professional development project on these teachers’ classroom practices, perspectives, and
knowledge. In particular, we wanted to investigate the following questions.
(1)
What changes in these teachers’ classroom practices, perspectives, and knowledge
emerged over the course of our year-long professional development program?
(2)
What aspects of our professional development program (if any) contributed
significantly to these changes?
Perspectives and Framework
Mathematics, Learning, and Teaching
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Convention