Accountability: What Does it Mean and How is it Influencing Research in Mathematics Education Norman L. Webb Wisconsin Center for Education Research University of Wisconsin—Madison Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association Montreal, April 11,
Historical Perspective of Research in Mathematics Education YearsERAEmphasis New MathCurriculum Back to the Basics Minimum Competencies Accountability/ Standards-Based Policy, Systems, & Testing Evidence-Based Learning Data Structures, Individual Learning
Historical Perspective of Research in Mathematics Education YearsResearch mastery learning, aptitude-treatment interactions, predictive factors (regression analysis) equity, problem solving, teacher learning, conceptual/procedural development, case studies, anthropological investigations, learning units systems, impact of standards-based approaches, evaluation, testing, HLM, multivariate analyses, curriculum development, scientific evidence micro and macro investigations, feedback loops, longitudinal studies, impact of policy contexts on learning, interactive studies (teacher knowledge, curriculum, and student learning), study of algebra across the curriculum
Influence of Accountability on Research in Mathematics Education Pressure to produce “scientific” evidence Trade off between basic research and impact research Greater use of quantitative methods compared to qualitative methods Increased availability of large databases on student achievement
Future Research Needs on Accountability in Mathematics Education What is mathematical competence for what purpose (further study, college, work, military)? How is mathematical competence developed over time? What knowledge do teachers need to further mathematical competence? What constitutes mathematical complexity and how is this measured? What are efficient means of measuring students’ mathematical knowledge? Longitudinal or coordinated sequence of studies.
Possible Research Agenda Mathematical competence Algebra across the grades Alignment among mathematics program components Culture and context for learning mathematics