SI CFP: Teacher Competencies in Mathematics: Relating Teaching and Student Learning
Mathematics Education Researchers (MER) community
The Special Issue will curate significant scholarship on mathematics teacher competencies and how teacher competencies impact both classroom practice and student learning.
Guest editors:
Vesife Hatisaru (v.hat...@ecu.edu.au), Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
Carol Murphy (carol....@utas.edu.au), University of Tasmania, Tasmania
Special issue information:
Rationale
Teacher competencies can be broadly defined as the knowledge, skills, beliefs and experiences effective for classroom practice and the propensity to apply these in different situations (Blömeke & Delaney, 2012). There have been significant efforts in the field of mathematics education on determining what competencies a teacher of mathematics should have. As part of these efforts, scholars in the field of mathematics teacher education and development have suggested various frameworks or models of teachers’ mathematical knowledge. Examples include Ball et al.’s (2008) Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching and Rowland et al.’s (2005) Knowledge Quartet. Further works have considered teacher knowledge as part of the broader construct of teacher competence. These include Pino-Fan et al.’s (2018) Didactic Mathematical Knowledge, Neubran’s (2018) conceptualisation of professional knowledge, and Tchoshanov’s (2011) notion of the cognitive types of teacher knowledge. Moreover, Neubran indicated the gap between teacher knowledge and classroom practice and Tchoshanov called for more specific measures to determine influences of the cognitive types of teacher knowledge on student achievement. Pino-Fan et al.’s (2023) focus on teacher competencies in relation to practice; Tchoshanov and Monarrez’s (2024) focus on the conceptual and procedural characteristics of teacher knowledge in relation to task design; and Hatisaru et al.’s (2025) investigation into mathematical practices (e.g., communication, devising strategies, representation, mathematising, reasoning and argument) in secondary practising teachers mathematical work, illustrate this specificity.
The focus of this Special Issue on teacher competencies, in relation to teaching and student learning in mathematics, intends to further the relevant scholarly debate. The Special Issue will curate significant scholarship on mathematics teacher competencies and how teacher competencies impact both classroom practice and student learning.
Aim and Scope
Manuscripts will encompass, but are not limited to, topics such as:
- Relationships between specific aspects of teacher cognitive abilities and affective-motivational characteristics
- Reviews of teacher competency models
- Influence of aspects of teacher competence on task design
- Influence of professional development on teacher knowledge/competence
- Teacher competence, inclusion and equity
- Influence of teacher competence on student affect and motivation
- Influence of teacher competence on student learning in specific mathematics topics
- The associations between teacher competence and teaching approaches
- Teacher competence and use of technology, including Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
The manuscripts should be either research reports based on empirical data or theoretical / conceptual research commentaries. Empirical manuscripts should provide rigorous methodologies and evidence using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research approaches. Theoretical / conceptual research commentaries should provide critical in-depth analysis and critiques.
Abstract Submission Procedure:
Prospective authors send their Extended Abstract (EA) to the Guest Editors Drs Vesife Hatisaru and Carol Murphy via e-mails v.hat...@ecu.edu.au and carol....@utas.edu.au by 28 February 2026, with the subject line: JMB Special Issue: Teacher Competencies in Mathematics. For any questions regarding this Call, please contact Drs Hatisaru or Murphy via the same e-mails.
- An EA is up to 800 words, exclusive of references.
- The EA for empirical studies should include the rationale, research goals and questions / hypotheses, key literature and theoretical considerations, the methodology including sample size, participants data generation and analysis, and samples of results.
- The EA for theoretical / conceptual studies should include the rationale and focus, the theoretical or philosophical framework, key literature, and statement regarding the author(s)’ position and implications.
- The EA is submitted as a word file, include all authors’ names, e-mails, and affiliations. And it adheres to the APA-7 style.
- The Guest Editors will review the EAs based on their relevance to the Special Issue, and scientific quality, and announce the decision to the authors by 3 April 2026.
- A decision to submit an EA does not guarantee acceptance.
Manuscript submission information:
Upon agreement, the successful EA authors are invited to submit the full manuscript through the Editorial Manager for The Journal of Mathematical Behavior (JMB) by 15 June 2026.
The full manuscripts are up to 8 000 words (excludes references) and comply with the JMB’s Author Guidelines. All manuscripts will go through the JMB’s regular peer review process (double blinded). The reviewing process will be managed by the Special Issue Guest Editors, and final editorial decisions will be made in cooperation with the JMB Editor-in-Chief.
Timeline
Extended abstracts due: 28 February 2026
Decisions on extended abstracts: 3 April 2026
Full manuscript submission deadline: 15 June 2026
Decision on manuscripts: 19 October 2026
Revised manuscripts due: 25 January 2026
Final decisions: 26 March 2027
Publication of the Special Issue: June 2027
References:
Ball, D.L., Thames, M.H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389-407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108324554
Blömeke, S. & Delaney, S. (2012). Assessment of teacher knowledge across countries: A review of the state of research. ZDM Mathematics Education, 44, 223-247.
Hatisaru, V., Stacey, K., & Star, J.R. (2024). Mathematical connections in preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ solution strategies to algebra problems. AIEM – Avances de Investigación en Educación Matemática, 25, 33-55.
Neubrand, M. (2018). Conceptualizations of professional knowledge for teachers of mathematics. ZDM Mathematics Education, 50(4), 601–612.
Pino-Fan, L., Castro, W., & Font, V. (2023). A macro tool to characterize and develop key competencies for the mathematics teacher’ practice. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 21(5), 1407-1432.
Pino-Fan, L.R., Godino, J.D., & Font, V. (2018). Assessing key epistemic features of didactic-mathematical knowledge of prospective teachers: The case of the derivative. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 21(1), 63-94.
Rowland, T., Huckstep, P., & Thwaites, A. (2005). Elementary teachers’ mathematics subject knowledge: the knowledge quartet and the case of Naomi. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 8(3), 255-281.
Tchoshanov, M. (2011). Relationship between teacher knowledge of concepts and connections, teaching practice, and student achievement in middle grades mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 76, 141-164.
Tchoshanov, M., & Monarrez, A. (2024). Analyzing teacher-designed tasks through the lens of procedural and conceptual knowledge. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 24, 23-38.
Keywords:
affect; beliefs; mathematics; professional development; student learning; teacher competence; teacher knowledge; teacher learning
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