Investigating the teaching and learning of mathematics is an international enterpriise and the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education regularly benefits from the insightful contributions of reviewers and authors from every corner of the earth. JRME has a worldwide community of researchers in mathematics education among its authors, reviewers, and readers. As a matter of practice, the Editorial Panel of the journal seeks international scholars to help in reviewing submissions.

Research in Mathematics Education: Multiple Methods for Multiple Uses — NCTM Research Committee

This "Research Commentary" addresses the quality of statistical research in mathematics education. To do so, 10 years of Journal for Research in Mathematics Education ( JRME ) articles were analyzed on the basis of criteria suggested by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council for Measurement in Education, and the American Statistical Association.

Although preservice elementary school teachers (PSTs) lack the understanding of multidigit whole numbers necessary to teach in ways that empower students mathematically, little is known about their conceptions of multidigit whole numbers. The extensive research on children’s understanding of multidigit whole numbers is used to explicate PSTs’ conceptions of these numbers. A grounded theoretical approach leads to the development of a framework for PSTs’ conceptions of multidigit whole numbers, and that framework facilitates description of their conceptions and their difficulties in the context of the standard algorithms. The framework also enables discussion of the PSTs’ performance in other contexts.

Solving arithmetic and algebraic word problems is a key component of the Singapore elementary mathematics curriculum. One heuristic taught, the model method, involves drawing a diagram to represent key information in the problem. The authors describe the model method and a three-phase theoretical framework supporting its use. The findings offer avenues of support in word problem solving to children of average ability.

Although students of all levels of education face serious difficulties with proof, there is limited research knowledge about how instruction can help students overcome these difficulties. In this article, the authors discuss the theoretical foundation and implementation of an instructional sequence that aimed to help students begin to realize the limitations of empirical arguments as methods for validating mathematical generalizations and see an intellectual need to learn about secure methods for validation (i.e., proofs). The development of the instructional sequence was part of a 4-year design experiment conducted in an undergraduate mathematics course, prerequisite for admission to an elementary teaching certification program.

The Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) is seeking innovative ways to promote and support research that has the potential to encourage and sustain conversations at the intersection between research and practice. As such, the journal plans to pilot special issues of JRME that will address topics of key importance that are considered to be at the boundary of research and practice. The special issue will be accessible to all NCTM members online and become an NCTM publication upon completion.