Joined the faculty in 2005
Ph.D., Indiana University
B.S., Beloit College
Current scholarly interests: I am generally interested in teacher education and particularly in mathematics education. I use cognitive-science approaches in studying the learning and teaching of mathematics. The close study of how people come to make mathematical sense of the world around them can inform teaching and reveal aspects of the psychology and epistemology of mathematics. I am also interested in computational discrete mathematics and in mathematical modeling. I also direct a longitudinal study of elementary school mathematics curriculum.
Previous teaching experience:
Illinois Wesleyan University: education, math, and environmental studies
Westtown School: high school mathematics
Previous research:
In addition to my work with pre-service teachers, I have directed several professional development projects for high school mathematics teachers. A common theme of this work is promoting the teaching of mathematics through realistic problem solving that calls for mathematical modeling.
Courses Routinely Taught:
Learning, Teaching, Schools, and Mathematics
Teaching for a Sustainable Environment
The Human Face of Mathematics
Representations, Inferences, and Meanings
Math/Science Pedagogy Seminars for Teacher Certification Students
Recent Publications:
Kehle, P., and Maki, D. (2005). Implementing comprehensive multi-faceted professional development: Lessons learned from university and K-12 partnerships. Paper presented at the Joint AMS-MAA Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Ga.
Kehle, P., Lambdin, D., Essex, N., and McCormick, K. (2004). How will we know what they learned?: Designing a longitudinal study of elementary mathematics curriculum. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, Calif., April 2004.
Kehle, P., and Lester, F. (2003). "A semiotic look at modeling behavior." In D. Lesh & H. Doerr (Eds.), Beyond constructivist: A models & modeling perspective on mathematics teaching, learning, and problem solving. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum.
Kehle, P., and Cunningham, D. (2002) Semiotics and mathematical modeling. International Journal of Applied Semiotics, 3, 119-135.
Professional Affiliations:
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Psychology of Mathematics Education
Mathematical Association of America/American Mathematical Society
American Educational Research Association
Personal Statement:
I am fascinated by how we make sense of the world around and within us and how we share our understandings with others. My research directly informs my teaching as I help future teachers find effective ways of helping all students learn while maintaining their senses of curiosity, wonder, and awe. My research and teaching is reflexive in nature as I am repeatedly drawn to try to make sense of how we go about making sense. Life and the ability to make sense are precious, and the increasingly fragile state of the environment has led me to focus also on studying and promoting actions that increase the sustainability of the environment.