Transformation and Accommodation: A Case Study of Joe Scott

This article is a case study of a self-described “traditional” teacher’s approach to implementing a state-wide mathematics reform. It examines his beliefs and knowledge about mathematics, and his commitment to the success of his students in the context of the state’s attempt to introduce innovations in both the goals and strategies of mathematics instruction. The goals of the reform include emphasis on conceptual understanding, cooperative learning, and practical applications of mathematics; this teacher emphasizes memorization, rules, and competition. The article explores the interplay between these two orientations: the teacher’s adoption of the reform’s implementation strategies, particularly the textbook, and his interpretation of the reform’s goals in terms of his own interest in teaching applications of mathematics. The teacher’s sense of accountability to his students and his commitment to their success is explored in the context of the state’s change in the principal vehicle of instruction, the textbook, and the state’s definition of success. The article raises the issue of what kind of change can occur in these circumstances and asks whether change that manifests itself in adoption of the implementation strategies of the reform will result in fundamental change in teachers’ beliefs and knowledge about mathematics.