This article explores elementary school teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and the relationship between such knowledge and teacher characteristics. The Learning Mathematics for Teaching project administered a multiple-choice assessment covering topics in number and operation to a nationally representative sample of teachers ( n = 625) and at the same time collected information on teacher and student characteristics. Performance did not vary according to mathematical topic (e.g., whole numbers or rational numbers), and items categorized as requiring specialized knowledge of mathematics proved more difficult for this sample of teachers. 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.
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Heather C. Hill (2010) studied this question.