IS THERE A COMMON PEDAGOGICAL CORE? EXAMINING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES OF COMPETING MODELS OF MATHEMATICS TEACHING

Debates concerning which ideas should be included in the K-12 curriculum, how they are learned, and how they should be taught are longstanding Although the adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics largely resolves content-focused aspects of the debates, pedagogical decisions remain open to interpretation The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics have attempted to address this issue with recent calls to action, promoting particular instructional practices that represent a shared vision of the goal for every mathematics classroom We examine these practices from the perspectives of two competing approaches to mathematics instruction—dialogic and direct—to ask whether a shared vision is sometimes inaccurately presumed, and to press for a common pedagogical core that includes not only specifications of observable practices, but also their underlying rationales in terms of equitably supporting all students in coming to know and do mathematics.