Teaching Mathematics for Conceptual Understanding: Teachers' Vision, Practices, and Their Perceived Constraints

• In Event: How Standards, Curricula, and School Policies Influence Instruction and Student Outcomes

Abstract

This study aimed to provide insights regarding teachers’ perceived constraints and practice (both distance between teachers’ vision of ideal and actual mathematics instruction and frequency of reform-aligned instruction) in the CCSS Era where the conceptual understanding is emphasized. Employing multivariate-multilevel models to survey data from 429 teachers, we found that teachers focus their attention on specific constraints (e.g., time, student background, testing), and certain teacher and contextual factors predicted certain constraints (e.g., teachers in low SES schools perceived student background as a constraint). Our findings also provided empirical evidence for the importance of perceived constraints on distance (from teachers’ ideal instruction) and reform-aligned practices (emphasizing conceptual understanding). Implications for policy and measuring instruction are discussed.

Authors

• Zahid Kisa, Florida State University

• Bilge Yurekli, University of Pittsburgh

• Richard James Correnti, University of Pittsburgh

• Mary Kay Stein, University of Pittsburgh