Curricular Decision-Making in Community College Mathematics Courses for Elementary Teachers.

Abstract

Although the mathematical preparation of future teachers is of particular concern within the field of mathematics education right now, little research has taken into account the increasing role of community colleges in offering mathematics courses for elementary teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the curricular decisions of community college instructors who teach these courses as an initial step towards understanding the types of mathematical opportunities that might be available to students in these settings. The study addresses the following research questions: How is written curriculum adopted for community college mathematics courses for elementary teachers? What factors influence instructors’ decisions in implementing mathematics curriculum for elementary teachers in these courses?

Interview data was collected from 21 department chairs and instructors of mathematics courses for elementary teachers at four community colleges in the United States. Analysis of the data revealed four themes that described variations in influences on curricular decision-making between colleges: department autonomy in course design, course consistency and sharing of resources, use of the textbook and other curricular resources, and instructional practices. From those themes, models of curricular decisionmaking for each college were developed, demonstrating that curricular decisions were made at different levels depending on the structure and organization of the department around this course. Drawing upon these models, as well as Lattuca & Stark’s Academic Plan (2009), an expansion of Remillard’s (1999) framework of arenas of curricular decision-making is presented which incorporates curricular decisions that are made outside the level of the individual instructor. Three external influences particular to community college mathematics courses for elementary teachers—transfer, the textbook, and organization of the department around the ourse—are identified and described, and implications for both research and practice are presented.