Balancing Old and New: An Experienced Middle School Teacher's Learning in the Context of Mathematics Instructional Reform

In this study I examined a dilemma an experienced teacher struggled with during the first year of her involvement in a mathematics education reform project. The dilemma-ensuring student success-resulted from the tension between the teacher's past practice of structuring learning opportunities so that students could experience success and her new belief that students needed to engage in complex problem solving that often required initial feelings of being unsuccessful. Data for this study included videotapes and summaries of classroom observations and professional development sessions; audiotapes and transcripts of interviews conducted with the teacher; surveys on the teacher's background, beliefs, and practices; and the teacher's reflections on her practice. Drawing on these data, I traced the evolution of the dilemma across the year, with particular attention to experiences that served as catalysts for the dilemma, factors that supported the resolution of the dilemma, and evidence that the dilemma stimulated teacher learning. The results suggested that the dilemma, which was embedded in the teacher's attempt to develop a practice more consistent with the goals of mathematics education reform, served as a springboard for her learning. Critical factors associated with this learning were the teacher's reflection on her practice as she sought to resolve the dilemma, and her interactions with teacher colleagues and university educators during the year.