This systematic research project of classroom teaching and learning of mathematics in grades 3 through 6 is intended to : (1) describe teachers' beliefs about small-group mathematics instruction with a particular interest in specifying mathematical content that is especially appropriate for small-group instruction; (2) identify instructional strategies teachers use during small-group instruction; (3) replicate those instructional strategies in different educational contexts; (4) examine small-group instruction in the areas of problem solving, estimation, and measurement (making videotapes of these lessons as well as coding classroom behavior); (5) examine the correlation between different small-group instructional strategies and students' mathematics performance; (6) with the assistance of the National Advisory Board, develop at least two innovative treatments for improving the effectiveness of small-group mathematics instruction; and (7) disseminate the results of the project in a monograph discussing research findings and concepts and in a videotape(s) that will illustrate effective practices.
