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Classics in Mathematics Education Research

Thomas P. Carpenter, John A. Dossey, and Julie L. Koehler, editors
Publisher: 
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Publication Date: 
2004
Number of Pages: 
226
Format: 
Paperback
Price: 
35.95
ISBN: 
0-87353-565-0
Category: 
Anthology
[Reviewed by
Hortensia Soto-Johnson
, on
12/28/2005
]

Classics in Mathematics Education Research is an excellent read for any mathematician transitioning into the field of mathematics education or for someone who is interested in learning more about this field. It is also a first-rate introductory book for graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in mathematics education. The book is composed of seventeen research articles that reflect and have influenced mathematics education research in the past thirty years.

The authors of the research articles are prominent mathematics education researchers whose works have greatly contributed to the field of mathematics education. Their research displays the importance of learning with understanding and demonstrates the integration of teaching and learning mathematics research. Furthermore, through these researchers the role of quantitative and qualitative studies has been solidified. Many of the articles can be classified into one of the following categories:

  • Ethnomathematics: Role of cultural practices in learning mathematics,
  • Gender issues,
  • Meta-cognition: Emergence of cognitive perspective for studying student thinking and problem-solving, and
  • Action Research: The role of teachers conceptions in research in teaching and learning.

The mathematical topics addressed in the articles range from Brownell's article on "The Place of Meaning in the Teaching of Arithmetic" to Tall and Vinner's article entitled "Concept Image and Concept Definition in Mathematics with Particular Reference to Limits and Continuity." There are also articles dealing with the number concept in the middle grades and geometry. Each article is preceded by a "Perspective," introducing the cited work and its relevance to mathematics education research.

Classics in Mathematics Education Research will give you a little taste of what constitutes important and meaningful research in the field of mathematics education! Invest in this book, if you want to learn more about the cultivation of mathematics education research.


Hortensia "Tensia" Soto-Johnson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Northern Colorado, where she teaches elementary and secondary pre-service teachers. She also mentors mathematics education doctoral candidates. In her spare time, Tensia enjoys reading, practicing yoga, and most importantly spending time with her husband Roger and their son Miguel.

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