Teaching and Learning Mathematics: Where Research Should Be Going

Several lines of research on reaching that have not been conducted with a specific interest in mathematics instruction have relevance to mathematics education. Topics discussed include process-outcome research linking teacher behavior ro student achievement, structuring the content for clarity and ease of comprehension, teaching cognitive skills and problem-solving strategies, recitation and board work activities, seatwork and homework assignments, conceptual change teaching, classroom organization and grouping, cooperative learning methods, sex equity issues, and motivating students to learn mathematics. Each topic is reviewed with an emphasis on its relevance to mathematics educators and on methodological refinements or extensions inro new topic areas that are needed ro move these lines of research forward.