What role canshould research play in the development of textbooks

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What role can/should research play in the
development of textbooks?

• Barbara Reys
• Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum
• ReysB_at_missouri.edu
• http//mathcurriculumcenter.org

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Fact 1 Textbooks matter.

• The district-adopted mathematics textbook is used
  by most teachers as a guide for WHAT to teach,
  WHEN to teach it, and HOW to teach it.

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Fact 2 Everyone wants good textbooks.

• Publishers and authors are sincere in wanting to
  put out textbooks that are good for students and
  teachers.

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Fact 3 Not all textbooks are alike.

• Some textbooks provide greater opportunities for
  the development of understanding.
• Some textbooks have more exercise problems.
• Some textbooks include better tasks/activities to
  engage students.
• Some textbooks provide better support for
  teachers.

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Fact 4 Some textbooks are far more
research-based than others.

• Some textbooks have been field-tested and revised
  based on feedback from teachers and students.
• Some textbooks pay more attention to learning
  trajectories.
• Some textbooks use models and representations
  that are more likely to make sense to students.
• Some textbooks provide more thoughtful support
  for teacher learning.

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Fact 5 Most mathematics textbooks are too big.

• Teachers cant possibly use all of the material
  provided in/with most textbooks.
• They are forced to make some choices.
• They skip a lot of good stuff.

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Fact 7 There is a call for more research on
curriculum.

• Publishers are being asked to provide evidence to
  school districts considering various textbooks.
• The U.S. Dept of Education has established the
  What Works Clearinghouse to screen evaluations
  of research and provide publicly accessible
  reports on these evaluations.
• NCLB has produced a huge demand for
  knowledge/research (R. Elmore) -- a window of
  opportunity.

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How can research inform textbook development?

• Design Stage
• Development Stage
• Evaluation of Completed Curriculum

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How can research inform textbook development?

• Design Stage
• Decisions about the content and design of
  textbooks should be based on available research.
• Student learning/thinking
• Effective instructional strategies.
• Useful mathematical representations and models.

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How can research inform textbook development?

• Development Stage
• The development of textbooks should include a
  cycle of field-based RD.
• Trials of draft materials
• Feedback from the trials
• Revisions informed by what worked (with teachers
  and students)

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How can research inform textbook development?

• Evaluation Stage
• Measuring the impact of curriculum materials on
  student learning outcomes (taking into
  consideration other important factors).

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The Problem

• The current system works against the the
  publication of high quality, research-based
  textbooks.

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Three reports outline faults in the system.
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The System

• Short timelines.
• 50 different state standards (and even more
  district standards).
• Textbook selection that is politicized.

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Role of NSF

• Stimulate research-based innovation in
  curriculum.
• NSF has been successful in raising national
  attention to curriculum, providing alternatives
  textbook models, and getting the attention of
  publishers.

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Do we have higher quality textbooks today than in
1990?

• We certainly have a wider range of kinds of
  textbooks.
• We have textbooks that are causing some teachers
  to pay attention and employ new teaching
  strategies.
• We have established a market for
  standards-based textbooks.
• We have an active national conversation about
  curriculum materials.
• We have publishers interested in research and
  researchers interested in curriculum materials.

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What can publishers do to support research?
Share information about where their textbooks are
being used. Lobby NAGB to allow information to be
collected on textbooks as NAEP data are collected
in school surveys.
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What can publishers do to support better
textbooks?
Stop producing voluminous sets of extra materials
(ancillaries) concentrate on the core materials
-- student and teacher text. Lobby for curriculum
articulation - identification of key topics at
each grade level.
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What can researchers do to support better
textbooks?

• Organize available knowledge and get it out.
• Identify priority questions and get to work on
  them.
• An example What do state standards say
  about topic placement?

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Publication of Newest State Mathematics Documents
(as of 2-1-05)

• 2005 2 states
• 2004 18 states
• 2003 11 states
• 2002 7 states
• 2001 2 states
• 2000 3 states
• pre-2000 8 states

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Number of GLEs
Grade
22

• Insert graphs here
• http//mathcurriculumcenter.org

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Collaboration (among publishers, curriculum
developers and researchers) is needed.