PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Questioning assumptions about the measurability of subdomains of mathematical knowledge for teaching
Page: 413
One common approach to assessing mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) is designing items to measure individual subdomains of MKT as specified by a theoretical framework, with factor analyses confirming (or disconfirming) hypothesized subdomains. We interpret this approach as adhering to a “compartmentalized” view of MKT, as opposed to a “connected” view of MKT. We argue in this paper that a compartmentalized view of MKT is embedded in the ways that frameworks are represented, discussed, and used in the field, but that this view of MKT may unintentionally undermine understanding of MKT, and in turn, how to measure and cultivate it in teachers. Using an analysis of nine items previously shown to assess MKT, we illustrate that the tendency for practice-based items to capture multiple subdomains is a common issue across frameworks, and perhaps one that is a necessary result of their design.