Primary teachers' perspectives on mathematics during curriculum reform: A collective case study from Cyprus

Constantinos Xenofontos
University of Stirling, United Kingdom

Several recent studies in mathematics education have argued that, for reforms to be implemented effectively, teachers need to have appropriate support through high-quality professional development programs. Most programs, however, typically prepared by policymakers, focus on how to prepare teachers to use the intended curriculum. In this paper, taking a level-oriented approach, I examine in-service primary teachers' perspectives on school mathematics at the macro-level of the state and policies; the meso-level of the school and the wider community, and the micro-level of the classroom. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews with 22 experienced teachers in Republic of Cyprus schools, I discuss the importance of examining teachers' perspectives on school mathematics before designing and implementing professional development programs that address curricula reforms.
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Author: Constantinos Xenofontos PhD Cantab is a lecturer in mathematics education, at the University of Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom. His research interests revolve around the areas of mathematical problem solving, mathematics teacher education (both initial teacher education and in-service professional development), and socio-cultural and socio-political issues in mathematics education. Email: constantinos.xenofontos@stir.ac.uk Please cite as: Xenofontos, C. (2019). Primary teachers' perspectives on mathematics during curriculum reform: A collective case study from Cyprus. Issues in Educational Research, 29(3), 979-996. http://www.iier.org.au/iier29/xenofontos.pdf