Engaging Students in Meaningful Mathematics Learning: Different Perspectives, Complementary Goals

ecently, the question “Where’s the mathematics in mathematics education research?” has been raised in Kathleen Heid’s (2010) editorial in the March 2010 issue of the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) and in a research symposium at the 2010 National Council of Teachers (NCTM) Research Presession (the symposium panelist were Deborah Ball, Guershon Harel, Patrick Thompson, and myself; Jere Confrey was the discussant). In this issue of JUME, Danny Martin, Maisie Gholson, and Jacqueline Leonard (2010) provide a commentary on this question. As a panelists at the Research Presession, I respond to Martin et al.’s commentary here. After a brief preface, I address disagreements that I have with Martin et al.’s commentary, and then I address some of the issues within alternative perspectives.