Adapting to the skill‐based curriculum: An examination of teachers' curricular noticing of tools and technology

This study investigates middle school mathematics teachers' curricular noticing skills for the integration of tools and technology within the context of a skill‐based curriculum. We focus on the cognitive processes that underlie teachers' curricular noticing of mathematical tools. The data were acquired via semi‐structured interviews and written materials. Through a qualitative exploratory study involving six in‐service teachers, we identified three distinct interpretative and responsive positions: (1) advanced, in which teachers align with the curriculum's intent by employing tools as epistemic instruments for mathematical construction; (2) developing, in which teachers exhibit an inverted workflow– emphasizing the measurement of established rules rather than their development; and (3) limited, in which the dynamic nature of technology is either disregarded or regarded as merely decorative. The findings contribute to the existing literature by emphasizing the inverted workflow as a significant barrier to the implementation of reforms, suggesting that curricular responsiveness is constrained not merely by content knowledge but also by teachers' epistemological understanding of tool use in geometry. Therefore, the findings suggest that professional development might focus on deepening teachers' comprehension of the curriculum's expectations, which could help ensure their instruction aligns more closely with the curriculum.