International Approaches to Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers

Conclusion: Education of Practising Teachers, Professional Life, and Development of Mathematics Teachers

232 Conclusion Education of Practising Teachers, Professional Life, and Development of Mathematics Teachers Nadine Bednarz, Dario Fiorentini, and Rongjin Huang The previous chapters give a rich portrait of alternative approaches to and experiences in mathematics teacher education aimed at supporting the professional development of teachers. These approaches and experiences try to be better aligned with teacher professional practices so as to be significant for them. The analyses in the different chapters help to clarify the characteristics of these various approaches, in particular how they articulate with practice, the roles played by the different participants (teachers, teacher educators, researchers), the underlying theoretical framework guiding the researchers, and the potentialities of these approaches to support teachers’ learning in, from, and for practice. To go further, we will first engage in a comparative analysis of these alternative experiences and approaches developed by researchers and teacher educators in different countries to shed light on some of their commonalities and differences. This reflection will question in particular the role of professional life in supporting professional development in practice, the nature of mathematics worked on, or the nature of collaboration between teacher educators/ researchers and teachers. We will then present some outcomes suggested by these different contributions, highlighting the discussions held in the international topic study group (TSG28) in Monterrey, Mexico (ICME-11). Different Experiences and Approaches Developed in Different Countries: Some Links At the crossroads of alternative approaches and experiences developed in different countries in support of the professional development of mathematics Education of Practising Teachers || 233 teachers, we find a common foundation: a recognition that the professional development of teachers cannot be conceived of outside their practice and that it has to take seriously into consideration the teachers’ points of view and practical knowledge to construct a significant PD experience. These experiences can take different forms, however, and be part of the professional lives of teachers. It is important to better understand, in that case, the informal learning process developed along the professional life of a teacher, specifically in relation to some crucial experiences encountered. Three different cases from China, the United States, and Portugal focus on some of these crucial experiences. Other approaches, articulated with practice, engage teachers in reflective activity about mathematics and its learning and teaching. We will present the similarities and differences that we saw among these different experiences and approaches. Professional Development in Practice in China, the United States, and Portugal We focus here on some experiences of teachers during their professional practices across different educational systems: teachers as subject leaders (Nunes), as mentors (Rhodes & Wilson), or as part of a system of promotion (Li, Huang, Bao, & Fan). There are subtle differences among these experiences across different cultures even if they share similar terms. For example, even if all these experiences refer to teachers’ leadership, it is described differently in the three educational systems considered: subject leader working in a school with other teachers (Nunes), expert teacher evolving through professional promotion (Li et al.), and mentor teacher working with novice teachers (Rhodes & Wilson). According to the description by Nunes, ome of the tasks of a subject leader include preparing and coordinating teachers’ group meetings and project working sessions and supervising and evaluating colleagues’ classroom practices. An important role for the subject leader is related to coordination and supervision. The subject leader is not necessarily a leading person in the content areas in terms of professional expertise and experience but a coordinator, keeping the subject group working together toward the support of all members. This process presents an important opportunity for the subject leader to develop her profession through collaboration with other teachers and this leadership experience. Traditionally, mentor teachers, usually experienced teachers, mainly supervised student teachers or novice teachers and helped them to adapt to professional life. However, Rhodes and Wilson described a promising 234 || Professional Development of Mathematics Teachers program in which mentors shifted their role from that of providing advice to that of working collaboratively with mentees. Thus, mentoring becomes a collaborative activity and a valuable learning opportunity for both mentors and mentees. Li and his colleagues provided a holistic picture of a system of promotion in China. Expert teachers in that system are officially and socially recognized as subject leaders in terms of their expertise. They have the responsibility of supervising novice teachers (even experienced teachers) within or across schools, but they can also be the head of a teaching research group, director of a...