Doctoral Preparation in Mathematics Education: Time for Research and a Widespread Professional Conversation

Abstract

Doctoral programs in mathematics education were established more than a century ago in the United States. From 2010-2014 over 120 different institutions graduated at least one doctorate in mathematics education. There has been limited research reported on the nature of doctoral programs in mathematics education and/or their doctoral graduates. This paper provides a synthesis of research findings related to doctoral preparation in mathematics education that is accompanied by a reflection on the findings and suggestions for future research. The intent of our paper is to provide a rallying call for more widespread and coordinated research on doctoral programs in mathematics education in order to strengthen the quality of doctoral preparation for the next generation of mathematics educators.

Keywords

• accreditation
• core knowledge
• doctoral preparation
• mathematics education