Eric.ed.gov – Experiences and Impact: The Voices of Teachers on Math Education Reform in Ontario, Canada

In Ontario, students’ declining math performance is currently cited as a major area of concern (Reid & Reid, 2017). In response to this, Ontario is implementing math education policy changes. However, there is no mention of the role of teachers in this reform process. To address this issue, this paper explores and shares teachers’ experiences with math reform. I took a qualitative approach and interviewed eight public school teachers who shared their experiences with math reform based on their teaching trajectories. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) math confidence impacts perception and response to math reform; (2) teachers have little to no active role in the math reform process; (3) there is bidirectional impact between math reform and teachers. These findings delineate significant implications for math reform; the need to revere firsthand accounts of teacher experiences and insights, treating teachers as change agents, and engaging teachers in math reform processes. [For the complete Volume 17 proceedings, see ED596826.]