Research on Reform in Mathematics Education, 1993-2000

Abstract

Proponents and opponents of reform of mathematics education all cite the research base in support of their positions. This article reports the results of a review of studies that contained empirical evidence of the effects of reform or the difficulty of implementing reform that were published between 1993 and 2000. The studies reviewed indicate that implementation of math reform contributes to student achievement, but evidence abounds of superficial implementation and barriers to enactment. There are well-documented strategies for reducing these barriers, the most promising strategies being inservice that simultaneously focuses on teachers' practice and their cognition about mathematics teaching.