Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association
Volume 43 Issue 1, December 2005
9 – 15
Mathematics Professional Development for Elementary Teachers: A Constructivist Model
Katherine Willson and Roberta McKay
The Western Canadian Protocol framework for mathematics focuses on a constructivist approach to teaching and learning mathematics. One particular area of concern for teachers has been the expectation to increase communication processes in the mathematics classroom through student discussions and writing. According to researchers, such as Deborah Schifter ( 1996), teacher professional development in mathematics needs to change to reflect constructivist principles. Key ideas from constructivist theory include a recognition that students are active learners who come to classrooms with different knowledge, experiences and backgrounds, and that students learn by attaching meaning to what they do; they must be able to construct their own meaning of mathematics. Students need to read, explore, investigate, listen, discuss, explain ideas in their own language and use manipulatives. This helps students create their own links between their informal understandings of mathematics and the formal language and symbolism of mathematics. Similar constructivist principles are needed to inform teacher professional development in mathematics.
