As I dive into my research on mathematical education, I notice there are several individuals within this same community. People are constantly trying to figure out how to teach math better. Why? I believe it is because math is the subject students struggle with the most. There is something about having to get a right answer and following a process that students struggle to adhere. Therefore, as educators, we are trying to perfect a system where students can learn math and be successful in it. As I read the articles for this week and watched a video on teaching math, I see a similar pattern of how research is being conducted and used in the field.
In one article I read, titled, “Analysis of Expert Readers in Three Disciplines: History, Mathematics, and Chemistry”, they discuss their study in length using outside resources and personal interviews they conducted. They structure their paper by first explaining the purpose of this whole study which states, “The purpose of this article is to describe educationally relevant differences in literacy use among three subject-matter disciplines—history, chemistry, and mathematics. These analyses were drawn from an investigation of the teaching of disciplinary literacy in high schools funded by the Carnegie Corporation” (Shanahan, et al., 2011, p.394). From here, the reader not only gains the purpose of this article, but also learns how the information was gathered. This is important for credibility and understanding of the entire article.
As the article progresses, it explains why they are conducting this study. This is under the “background” section. For example, the study states, “teachers of science, math, and history often do not know how to support their students’ reading in the disciplines and often avoid the use of text, just telling students what they want them to know” (Shanahan, et al., 2011, p.395). This clearly supports the purpose of this article which is to break down literacy in each of the subjects. From here, the article breaks down research that has been conducted on it and then results from the study. This organization is common amongst other research I have seen.
The video I watched was another form of research. However, to me, it seemed like it was just part of the research. It was clear that the teacher in the video had learned about the topic called “Number Talk”. After explaining to her students what Number Talk entails, she then carries out the procedure. This is almost her conducting her own research to see if this method is effective. This was a great video to watch because you could see her reflecting in the video as well as I could reflect on the video to see if this method is effective.
Each part of the research process is important and worth noting. As I continue to do research and write about effective teaching practices, I hope to implement these research strategies.
References:
Shanahan, C., Shanahan, T., & Misischia, C. (2011). Analysis of expert readers in three disciplines: History, mathematics, and chemistry. Journal of Literacy Research, 43(4), 393-429.Wimmer, J. J., Siebert, D., & Draper, R. (2017). Digital mathematics literacies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(5), 577-580
video: https://cloud.swivl.com/v/998fd0b0c0f0c244889cf699bcf417f7
Teaching: The Art of Being a Forever Learner 
Thanks for this examination of educational research and teaching practice. Thanks also for citing the article– that makes it easier to find for others. Could you also cite the video? At least provide a link. I’m sure your readers will want to watch it along with you.
I’m glad you’re grappling with the concept of research. Too often educators base their teaching choices on gut feelings, and most likely on subjective reactions to ways they’ve been taught. These likely lead to teaching in the same way we’ve been taught because that’s our only model. What is useful about educational research is that it provides the field with empirical data to base our teaching decisions on. What works for me as a student will not necessarily work for all of my students. So yes I’m really glad you also value the importance of educational research.
I thought it was interesting how you noticed a commonality between the teacher in the video and the researchers who wrote the article you cited. Can you imagine incorporating a researcher perspective to your teaching? How would you do it? What would it involve? and what difference might it make?
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