In this article the power of narratives used during the professional development of two mathematics teachers, who teach in the elementary grades, is discussed. The teachers were participants in a collaborative study group GIFEM (Group for Investigations and Professional Development in Mathematics Education). The objectives of the group included the support of participating teachers to overcome the challenge of implementing Statistics Education in their classes. In the work of the group, the professional development involves the production and sharing of narratives as a process that builds on teachers’ strengths in order to enhance their practices. The contributions to professional growth of the narratives produced by the teacher participants are discussed. Written and oral narratives produced by the two participating teachers describe and analyze the activities they developed and implemented in their 5th and 9th grade classrooms. These narratives were analyzed by the author in search for evidence of enhanced professional knowledge, new dimensions incorporated into professional practices, and the production of knowledge occurring as reflections were shared during the meetings of GIFEM.
Professional Development; Narratives; Teaching Practice; StatisticsEducation; MathematicsEducation