What is the point? Examining how curriculum materials articulate mathematical goals and how teachers steer instruction

This study examined how authors of four different elementary mathematics curriculum materials articulate the mathematical goals of the lesson and orient the activities toward the goals, as well as the extent to which teachers steered instruction toward the goals during enactment. Through document analysis, we identified four ways in which authors support teachers in identifying and orienting the lesson toward the goals. Analysis of the enacted lessons of 8 teachers suggests a correlation between the depth to which the goals were communicated across the four categories and the extent to which teachers steered the instruction towards the goals. The authors conclude with recommendations to curriculum developers for communicating mathematical goals in ergonomic ways.