Approaches to Studying the Enacted Mathematics Curriculum

Book excerpt: Curriculum materials are among the most pervasive and powerful influences on school mathematics. In many mathematics classes, student assignments, the questions the teacher asks, the ways students are grouped, the forms of assessment, and much more originate in curriculum materials. At the same time, teachers have considerable latitude in how they use their curriculum materials. Two classes making use of the same materials may differ markedly in what mathematics content is emphasized and how students are engaged in learning that content. This volume considers a variety of research tools for investigating the enactment of mathematics curriculum materials, describing the conceptualization, development, and uses of seven sets of tools. Mathematics education researchers, curriculum developers, teacher educators, district supervisors, teacher leaders, and math coaches will find insights that can improve their work, and guidance for selecting, adapting, and using tools for understanding the complex relationship between curriculum materials and their enactment in classroom instruction.