The purpose of this study was to characterize variations in how teachers enacted an approach to ambitious mathematics teaching: "rough draft math." We also examined teachers' motivations for their enactments. Thirty-two teachers from five states in the U.S.A. were recruited to participate in interviews based on recommendations from…

This article is a report on a teacher study group that focused on three elementary teachers' perceptions of mathematical modeling in contrast to typical mathematics instruction. Through the theoretical lens of figured worlds, I discuss how mathematics instruction was conceptualized across the classrooms in terms of artifacts, discourse, and…

This paper situates dialogue with students about their learning (descriptive feedback) within the larger frame of reflection, examining how teachers involved in inservice teacher education have used descriptive feedback and noting its impact on their teaching and on students' learning. It presents case studies of teachers and describes the role of…

This paper reports the results of a survey study of the perceptions of a small sample of teachers about the benefits of providing students with instructional choice. Instructional choice was defined as a conscious decision of the teacher to grant the student some degree of control over either the content or the activity of learning. Teachers in…

Most instructors today feel that using computers in classrooms to create electronic forums automatically results in a more egalitarian setting, but technology can become an effective cloak for otherwise oppressive practices. These settings can potentially reinscribe dominant ideologies, stifling students rather than empowering them. These…

This paper investigates the importance of responsible teaching, examining how professionally empowered teachers can move students in the direction of becoming empowered and independent learners. It explains that empowerment is integral within teacher education. Teachers must provide minimum conditions for success in terms of responsible teaching…

This ethnographic study was conducted to study students', administrators', and teachers' perceptions of and experiences at a Business Technology and Communications magnet high school in a large urban district that has been under court-ordered desegregation since 1985. Triangulation of data collection included classroom observations over 20 weeks,…

Increasing numbers of Asian/Pacific youth in the schools present a challenge for teacher education. Teachers need the knowledge and skills to empower Japanese students in their classes and the commitment and sensitivity to develop the leadership potential inherent in the strong work ethic and cooperative skills many of these students possess. This…