Rongjin Huang

This volume shares and discusses significant new trends and developments in research and practices related to various aspects of preparing prospective secondary mathematics teachers from 2005–2015. It provides both an overview of the current state-of-the-art and outstanding recent research reports from an international perspective. The authors completed a thorough review of the literature by examining major journals in the field of mathematics education, and other journals related to teacher education and technology. The systematic review includes four major themes: field experiences; technologies, tools and resources; teachers' knowledge; and teachers' professional identities. Each of them is presented regarding theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and major findings. Then the authors discuss what is known in the field and what we still need to know related to the major topics.

Rongjin Huang examines teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching, with a particular focus on teaching the concept of function and quadratic relations in China and the United States. 376 Chinese and 115 U. S. A. prospective middle and high school mathematics teachers participated in this survey. Based on an extensive quantitative and qualitative data analysis the author comes to the following conclusions: The Chinese participants demonstrate a stronger knowledge of algebra for teaching and the Chinese participants’ structure of knowledge of algebra for teaching is much more interconnected. Chinese participants show flexibility in choosing appropriate perspectives of the function concept and in selecting multiple representations. Finally, the number of college mathematics and mathematics education courses taken impacts the teachers’ knowledge of algebra for teaching.