The Curious – and Crucial –

Case of Mathematical

Knowledge for Teaching

By Heather Hill and Deborah Loewenberg Ball

Carole Hayata

Brief Summary

According to Hill and Ball (2009), good teachers know both content and how to make it understandable and accessible for their students. Specifically, teachers of mathematics at all grade levels need to possess mathematical knowledge that will enable them to respond to students’ questions and be able to explain a concept using various representations that are mathematically accurate and helpful to learners. Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) correlates with “certain habits of mind such as careful attention to mathematical detail and well-explicated reasoning” (p.70). Teachers of mathematics can develop MKT by developing their own knowledge through extensive mathematics-focused professional development. In addition, those who prepare teachers and provide professional development will need adequate support and guidance in effective ways to gain MKT in order to put together meaningful opportunities. Skillful teaching will translate into better instruction for our students.

This article from researchers Hill and Ball explains to educators that there is a distinct difference between the knowledge needed by mathematicians as opposed to the knowledge needed by teachers of mathematics. Teachers require the ability to see content from several perspectives in order to understand another person’s mathematical reasoning and skills. Today’s students should be challenged to gain conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts not just procedural. Although the article is directed towards the general educational community, the references provided with this article include several studies and articles in research journals for future study.

Hill, H. & Ball, D. L. (2009,October). The curious-

and

crucial-case of mathematical knowledge for

teaching.

Kappan, 9(2). Retrieved from

http://www.pdkintl.org/

kappan/k_v91/k0910toc.htm

Reference: