The relationship of teachers' conceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching to instructional practice

Abstract

Case studies were conducted to investigate the conceptions of mathematics and mathematics teaching held by three junior high school teachers. Examination of the relationship between conceptions and practice showed that the teachers' beliefs, views, and preferences about mathematics and its teaching played a significant, albeit subtle, role in shaping their instructional behavior. Differences among the teachers in their conceptions and practices are explained followed by a discussion of properties of their conceptual systems.