FIRST-YEAR TEACHERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NCTM STANDARDS

Recent publications concerned with reforming mathematics education have called for prospective teachers of mathematics to be taught in a manner consistent with how they will be expected to teach, that is, in a way consistent with the instructional practices recommended in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] Standards documents. Until this is common, graduates of our mathematics teacher education programs will be placed in a difficult situation: they will be asked to teach in a manner that for most them represents a radical change from the way in which they were taught mathematics. Twelve 1995 graduates of a secondary school mathematics program with a strong emphasis on the Standards took part in a study related to their experiences as first year teachers (FYTs) of mathematics. Having completed most of their mathematics classes before the publication of the NCTM Standards documents, the FYTs' own experiences as learners of mathematics in school were not influenced by the Standards, and not necessarily likely to be in accordance with them. The following questions are considered: To what extent were the FYTs able to implement the Standards in their teaching? What were the barriers to the FYTs' implementation of the Standards? What factors contributed to their successes? What instructional practices were used by the FYTs? What are the implications for mathematics teacher education programs?