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Professional learning experiences (PLEs) provide teachers with opportunities to improve their understanding of mathematics content and teaching practices. However, PLEs are often conducted in person and in small groups—hence costly and localized. The purpose of the current study was to explore different ways for teachers to engage in PLEs and how these approaches might enable the field to scale up these efforts in a sustainable manner. We compared the impact of three PLE formats on the early algebra knowledge and teaching practices of elementary mathematics teachers: (1) a facilitated summer workshop, (2) a multimedia course completed on teachers' own time, and (3) learning resources provided in the algebra curriculum unit that teachers used individually. Our findings suggest that all three formats can be mapped against a set of principles for quality professional learning. Analysis of pre- and post-treatment measures indicate that participating teachers' knowledge of algebra content and best practices significantly increased, regardless of the PLE format with which they engaged. Interviews with a subset of the teachers from the three groups point to the key features of each of the formats that can be capitalized on by designers of PLEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of a study on the link between record keeping during problem solving and cognition and communication. Topics mentioned include an overview of the Cognitive Load Theory based on working memory and long-term memory, a discussion on the two types of cognitive load, namely intrinsic load and extraneous load, and the use of diagrams and records as multimodal communication resources.

The main goal of the Learning and Teaching Geometry project is to build professional development materials that provide opportunities for teachers to learn about mathematical similarity through the use of videocases, in which specific and increasingly complex mathematical ideas are presented within the dynamics of classroom practice. The central component of the Learning and Teaching Geometry materials is the Foundation Module, which is intended to provide teachers with a thorough grounding in key mathematical and pedagogical issues related to similarity. Field test data indicate that the Foundation Module can promote gains in both teachers’ and students’ knowledge of similarity. By highlighting the design elements behind this successful professional development effort and documenting the urgent need for further supports in this content domain, the paper has important implications for mathematics educators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Because ethnicity is a basis for defining peer crowds in ethnically diverse American high schools, some may question whether crowds foster discrimination and stereotyping or affirm minority youths’ positive ties to their ethnic background. Through examination of both self- and peer ratings of crowd affiliation among 2,465 high school youth aged 14-19 years, this study assesses the likelihood that African American, Asian American, Latino, and multiethnic adolescents are associated with ethnically defined crowds. Crowd affiliations are related to friendship patterns among all groups, positive features of ethnic orientation for Asian and Latino youth, but also some aspects of stereotyping and discrimination for Latinos. Results emphasize ethnic diversity in the role that peer crowds play in minority adolescents’ social experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the relationship between professional development programs for teachers and alignment of teaching with national standards. The study looks at the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) programs that are based on content, situated in classroom practice, and focus long-term on teacher attitudes, perceptions of preparedness, and classroom practices. The study used long-term data generated by the NSF's Local Systemic Change through Teacher Enhancement Initiative (LSC), and found that this type of development model does affect teachers' classroom practices.

Based on the revised social contact theory, correlates of cross-ethnic friend nomination among 580 African American, 948 Asian-descent, 860 Latino, and 3986 White adolescents were examined. Socioeconomic and academic disparities between ethnic groups differentiated cross-ethnic friend nomination between schools for all groups but African Americans. For all groups, cross-ethnic friend nomination was less likely among students who preferred same-ethnic friends. Academic orientations were associated with cross-ethnic friend nomination positively for African American and Latino, but negatively for White participants. Longer family residence in the U.S. and English language facility was associated positively with cross-ethnic friend nomination for Asian-descent and Latino participants. Results point to the need to differentiate hypotheses by ethnic group, and to consider individual-in-context models in cross-ethnic friend nomination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]