Introduction to section B: Mathematics education as a field of study

The eight chapters in Section B were written by 22 scholars from 13 different nations. The first chapter provides historical perspectives on the growth of mathematics education as a field of study, with an emphasis being on the move towards greater internationalization. The "middle chapters" discuss theoretical and practical developments, especially in relation to the trend towards greater degrees of collaboration between school teachers, based in schools, and mathematics educators not based in schools. Issues such as: (a) "How should we educate mathematics teacher educators?" (b) "How much should practice be in fluenced by a perceived capacity to deliver success in terms of international competitiveness linked to economic agendas?" and (c) "How can teachers of mathematics become effective mathematics education researchers?" are taken up. In the final chapter in the section, the issue of how much notice is being taken by curriculum developers and policy makers of the "findings" of mathematics education research is raised.