The book Vital Directions in Mathematics Education grew out of a 2008 – 2009 lecture series (Scholars in Mathematics Education) at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Seven prominent mathematics educators from the USA and Canada were invited to discuss what they viewed as vital issues facing mathematics education and what they saw as viable directions research in mathematics education could take to address these issues. Each presenter then wrote a chapter based on this premise and their presentation; these chapters make up the middle seven chapters of the book. The first and last chapters are from other prominent mathematics educators and were written in reaction to the middle seven chapters. All of the issues raised in this book are related to the complexities of learning and teaching mathematics.

The recommendations take the form of broad, overarching principles and ideas that cut across the field, garnished with specific and poignant examples. In this sense, this book differs from classical “research agenda projects,” which seek to outline specific research questions that the field should address around a central topic. Rather, in this case, each chapter takes on vital issues in mathematics education that cut across many research agendas. The desired message is as follows: Here are vital issues facing mathematics education and here are some frameworks to direct and support research that will move us forward in addressing these issues