Teacher tension: important consideration for understanding teachers' actions, intentions, and professional growth needs

Mathematics teachers do not come to their professional growth opportunities as blank slates. They come to them carrying a complex array of tensions that affect their intentions and actions as a teacher, and are often the very reason that they are seeking out professional growth opportunities. In this article we explore some of these tensions in the form of dichotomous pairs of forces that emerge out of, and act on, mathematics teachers' experiences. Results indicate that, unlike prior research on tensions, teachers do not simply manage these opposing forces, but also work at, and seek help in, resolving them. This extension has important implications for our work, as a research field, in the crafting and delivery of professional development opportunities for mathematics teachers.