The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to explore mathematics teachers’ use of textbooks other relevant written curriculum materials; second, to create and validate a questionnaire of the textbook use by mathematics teachers. In order to study the teachers’ use of textbooks, Brown’s (2009) framework related to mathematics teachers’ use of curriculum materials was utilized in this study. Brown argues that teachers first select materials; however the options offered to the teachers are often restricted by higher organs. Second, they interpret these materials in planning and during instruction with regard to their perception of materials. Third, they reconcile their perceptions of the intended plan with their own goals and with the limitations of the setting. Fourth, they accommodate the students’ interests, experiences, and limitations. Finally, they modify the setting according to their own decisions and to their students’ capacities.

Curriculum materials are an integral part of teachers’ daily work and offer ongoing support for pedagogy and subject matter content throughout an entire school year (Collopy, 2003). In many studies, curriculum material is used to refer to written material and consider how teachers use it (Remillard, 2005; Drake & Sherin, 2006). Although the curriculum materials have a general meaning in the educational literature, the current study focused on written curriculum materials, namely mathematics textbooks and accompanying student workbooks, teacher guidebooks, and other written resources that were available to teachers.

 In fact, textbook is an object and cannot play a central role in the interaction between teacher and student, and in the “authorization” of teaching and learning mathematics (Johansson, 2007). The authority is sometimes the textbook, sometimes the teacher. The important point is that the teacher determines the authority in learning and teaching of mathematics, and guides their students to the correct solution. In general, textbooks serve teachers a perspective about the curriculum and challenge them to learn (or relearn) mathematical content and to teach deeper levels of student understanding (Van Zoest & Bohl, 2002). Within this context, textbooks provide a model of good classroom activities such as questions for their planning and enacting instruction.

 This study had two phases. In the first phase of the study, 13 mathematics teachers were interviewed about their use of the written curriculum materials, specifically textbooks. The researchers categorized the responses according to several initial themes, such as using course book, workbook, teacher guidebook, and the other resource book. Statements and/or quotes from this qualitative data were then developed into an instrument. The reason for collecting qualitative data initially was that there have been no existing instruments to assess the uses of written curriculum materials and that an instrument needs to be developed based on the qualitative views of participants. This phase concluded with the development of a questionnaire. The second phase involved analysis of a survey of 189 participants that appeared to validate these categories. This questionnaire was intended to be a tool that helps researchers to study larger samples in a wider context.

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