Paper presented at SEAMEO Regional Centre for Education's International Conference on Science and Mathematics in Penang, Malaysia on 6-8 December, 2005.

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MATHEMATICS TEACHERS: THE CONTEXT ISSUE 

Abstract: Teaching is complex. It is also unavoidably uncertain. That that is the case stems from the fact teachers are constantly being called upon to make decisions in unique circumstances, often circumstances beyond their control. A one-size-fits-all professional development approach is inconsistent with this nature of teaching. It needs to be tailored to fit the context in which the teachers teach and their students learn. In the case of mathematics teaching in Malaysia, what is the context, or rather what are the contexts? To shed some light on this question, this paper presents parts of case studies on two secondary mathematics teachers. The case studies are qualitative in nature and form part of a larger nation-wide, mixed-methods investigation into teachers’ classroom decision-making. The cases were mainly constructed from observation and interview data. The cases raise the issue that the contexts themselves pose problems for planning of professional development of mathematics teachers that fits the context in which they teach. The paper explores these problems which can undermine efforts to bridge the theory practice gap through continuous professional development for mathematics teachers. 

Presented at

CoSMEd 2005
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
“Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap In Science and Mathematics Education: The Challenge to Change”
6 - 8 December 2005
SEAMEO Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics, Penang, Malaysia
www.recsam.edu.my