Murata, Aki
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Research
Dr. Murata's research focuses on developing better understanding of and improving teaching and learning of mathematics in elementary classrooms. Improving mathematics education is a significant task, and my research places an angle on examining classrooms as a learning space where teaching and learning interact. My work aims to unpack and explain the complex processes of such interactions. In investigating these interactions, I emphasize teaching supports (e.g., visual representations) as windows into the practice, for how they are used as instructional tools, how teachers make sense of the roles of the supports, how the supports are used, and how students learn with them. Another important aspect of my work is to explore how group and individual learning occur simultaneously and affect each other in classrooms. I also use lesson study as a research context to examine these interactions and study how teachers learn in collaboration and how lesson study supports instructional improvement.
Learning to Teach Elementary Mathematics Conceptually: Relationships among Teachers' Conceptualization of Teaching, Knowledge of Mathematics for Teaching, and Practice
Quote
Moving away from the dichotomous models of considering either groups or individuals, when focusing on interaction among individuals in the group, we can explore new possibilities in effective mathematics instruction. For individuals’ learning to interact, the social settings are necessary, and differences among the learners are essential. By focusing on social settings, we are not ignoring individual learning needs. To the contrary, teachers support each individual’s learning by stimulating it with multiple ideas and approaches that naturally emerge from different learners who share the social setting. For individual learning to be rich, the instruction needs to be sufficiently open to allow the flexibility that accommodates and values the diversity of the learners. By allowing multiple entry points and multiple paths, all students ultimately reach in the proximity to core learning goals, with richer and deeper learning experiences (Interaction of individual mathematical learning trajectories and a model of inclusively responsive instruction: Centering diversity in high academic expeations, in press for the Journal of Learning Sciences)
Education
- Ph.D. in Learning Sciences; Northwestern University, 2002
- B.S. in Elementary Education; Ohio State University, 1997
Time at Stanford
Since 2004.
Acting Assistant Professor (2004 - 2005)
Assistant Professor (2005 - )
Professional Experience
Post-Doctoral Research Assistant; Lesson Study Project; Mills College, 2002 - 2005 [AERA Postdoctoral Fellowship]
Research Assistant; Children's Math Worlds Project; Northwestern University, 1999 - 2002 [Spencer Fellowship]
Courses Taught
- EDUC359E: Research on Mathematics Education
- EDUC362X: Teacher Learning and Lesson Study
- EDUC263EFG: Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics
- EDUC93Q: Young Childrens' Mathematical Thinking and Learning
- EDUC325B: Proseminar on Learning and Teaching
Recent Publications
Murata, A. (in press). Interaction of individual mathematical learning trajectories and a model of inclusively responsive instruction: Centering diversity in high academic expectations. The Journal of Learning Sciences.
Murata, A., Bofferding, L., Pothen, B., Taylor, M., & Wischnia, S. (in press). Making connections among student learning, content, and teaching: Teacher talk paths in elementary mathematics lesson study. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.
Murata, A., & Kattubadi, S. (in press). Grade 3 students’ mathematization through modeling: situation models and solution models with multi-digit subtraction problem solving. Journal of Mathematical Behaviors.
Murata, A. (2011). Conceptual overview of lesson study: Introduction. In L. Hart, A. Alston, & A. Murata. (Eds.). Lesson study research and practice in mathematics education: Learning together. pp. 1-12. Norwell, MA: Springer.
Murata, A. & Pothen, B. E. (2011). Lesson study in preservice elementary mathematics courses: Connecting emerging practice and understanding. In L. Hart, A. Alston, & A. Murata (Eds.). Lesson study research and practice in mathematics education: Learning together. pp. 103-116.Norwell, MA: Springer.
Murata, A. (2010). Teacher learning by lesson study. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw. (Eds.). International Encyclopedia of Education, v7. 575-581. Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
Murata, A. (2008). Mathematics teaching and learning as a mediating process: The case of tape diagrams. Mathematical Thinking and Learning. 10(4). 374 – 406.
Fuson, K. C. and Murata. A. (2007) Integrating the NRC principles and the NCTM process standards: Cognitively guided teaching to individualize instruction within whole-class activities and move all students within their learning path. National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Journal 10(1). 72 - 91.
Murata, A. and Fuson, K. C. (2006). Teaching as assisting individual constructive paths within an interdependent class learning zone: Japanese first graders learning to add using ten. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 421 - 456.
Murata, A. (2006). Coherent in-depth curricular paths: Early number sense development. In Lewis, C. and Takahashi, A. (eds.), Learning across boundaries: U.S.-Japan collaboration in mathematics, science, and technology education. Oakland, CA: Mills College School of Education. 178 - 188.
Lewis, C., Perry, R., and Murata, A. (2006). What is the role of the research in an emerging innovation: The case of lesson study. Educational Researcher, 35 (3). 3-14.
Murata, A. (2004). Paths to learning ten-structured understanding of teen sums: Addition solution methods of Japanese Grade 1 students. Cognition and Instruction, 22(2). 185 – 218.
Murata, A., Otani, N., Hattori, N., and Fuson, K. C. (2004). The NCTM Standards in a Japanese primary classroom: Valuing students’ diverse ideas and learning paths. In R. Rubenstein. (Ed.). National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2004 Yearbook: Perspectives on the Teaching of Mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. pp. 82 – 95.
