Sept. 28, 2000 (EMBARGOED UNTIL FRIDAY, OCT. 6) Contact: Teressa Tignor Gilbreth, Senior Information Specialist, University of Missouri-Columbia News Bureau, (573) 882-9144, [email protected]
MU PROFESSOR ADDRESSES CRITICAL NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION DOCTORATES
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The United States is facing a critical shortage of mathematics education doctorates, according to Robert E. Reys, professor of mathematics education at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In a study that will be appear in the November 2000 issue of the American Mathematical Society's Notices, Reys found that the number of degrees awarded has not kept pace with recent expansion in career opportunities in the field.
"The shortage of doctorates in mathematics education does not have a quick or simple solution," Reys said. "We need an aggressive campaign to alert people of the opportunities that exist for doctorates in mathematics education, and also to establish a structure that supports more people entering the field."
Job opportunities have increased in mathematics departments in colleges and universities, schools and school districts, state departments of education, the federal government, publishing companies and testing services.
According to National Research Council data cited in the article, 115 mathematics education doctorates were awarded during the 1997-1998 academic year. However, Reys found in an informal survey that, in each of the past two years, there were more than 300 advertised positions for individuals holding these degrees.
Because of an upcoming wave of retirements, the situation is not likely to improve soon. A survey of faculty in 48 departments that grant mathematics education doctorates found that almost 80 percent of the mathematics education faculty in those departments are eligible for retirement in the next 10 years.
Reys' recommendations for rectifying the shortage include expansion of federal support for mathematics education doctoral programs and publicizing the need for more mathematics education Ph.D.s. "Most of those interested have been teaching and have families. Returning to work on a doctoral program requires significant financial support. Programs such as the National Science Foundation fellowships that were so successful in supporting graduate study by mathematics teachers during the 1960s need to be revived," Reys said.
Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 30,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.
-30-
RSS