Considering the Paradoxes, Perils, and Purposes of Conceptualizing Teacher Development

Mathematics teacher education is a composite of many influences and purposes not the least of which is the propensity of many teachers to provide students with a caring environment in which to learn mathematics in an efficient manner. But reform teaching, rooted in Dewey's notion of education in a democratic society, is predicated on processes that evoke reasoning and problem-solving not just efficiency of providing information. The education of teachers to teach from such a process-oriented perspective is fraught with difficulty and thus presents a certain moral dimension which is considered in this chapter. Research indicates that change away from predictability and toward the problematic is often a difficult journey for teachers. A theoretical perspective for conceptualizing teachers' professional development is offered along with an analysis of the paradoxes and perils associated with implementing reform-oriented teacher education programs. ABSTRACT. Mathematics teacher education is a composite of many influences and purposes not the least of which is the propensity of many teachers to provide students with a caring environment in which to learn mathematics in an efficient manner. But reform teaching, rooted in Dewey's notion of education in a democratic society, is predicated on processes that evoke reasoning and problem-solving not just efficiency of providing information. The education of teachers to teach from such a process-oriented perspective is fraught with difficulty and thus presents a certain moral dimension which is considered in this chapter. Research indicates that change away from predictability and toward the problematic is often a difficult journey for teachers. A theoretical perspective for conceptualizing teachers' professional development is offered along with an analysis of the paradoxes and perils associated with implementing reform-oriented teacher education programs.