Previous research gives evidence that Japanese mathematics teachers “may have a more detailed and widely shared theory about how to teach effectively” when compared to their U.S. counterparts (Jacobs & Morita, 2002). This study explores the conceptions and cultural scripts of a group of Japanese mathematics teachers by analyzing the conversations between cooperating teachers and student teachers.

This study examines the impact of a nationally disseminated professional development program, Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI), on teachers’ specialized knowledge for teaching mathematics and illustrates how such research could be conducted. This study adds to our understanding of the ways in which professional development program features, facilitators, and issues of scale interact in the development of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching. Study limitations and challenges are discussed.

This article explores elementary school teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching and the relationship between such knowledge and teacher characteristics. There were few substantively significant relationships between mathematical knowledge for teaching and teacher characteristics, including leadership activities and self-reported college-level mathematics preparation. Implications for current policies aimed at improving teacher quality are addressed.

The Editorial Panel of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School is seeking submissions for a new department titled “Informing Practice.”