In this lecture I consider what we can learn from research that takes a sociocultural perspective on conceptualising "learning to teach". Recent reviews of research in mathematics teacher education have noted increasing attention to the social, cultural and institutional dimensions of teachers’ learning as well as attempts to integrate social and individual levels of analysis (da Ponte & Chapman, 2006; Lerman, 2001; Llinares & Krainer, 2006). These developments have also proven fruitful in research investigating factors that promote or hinder teachers’ learning and professional growth.

Lerman (1996) defined sociocultural approaches to mathematics teaching and learning as involving "frameworks which build on the notion that the individual’s cognition originates in social interactions (Harré & Gillett, 1994) and therefore the role of culture, motives, values, and social and discursive practices are central, not secondary" (p. 4). My lecture will explore sociocultural research that focuses on mathematics teacher education, selecting key studies as exemplars in order to address the following questions (adapted from Adler, Ball, Krainer, Lin, & Novotna (2005):
• How can sociocultural perspectives contribute to our understanding of how teachers learn, from what opportunities, and under what conditions?
• How can sociocultural perspectives inform research and professional development interventions that aim to improve teachers’ opportunities to learn?

The first part of the lecture will refer to selected studies of pre-service teacher education, the transition from prospective to beginning teacher, and professional development programs to illustrate what we might learn from the various sociocultural orientations employed. The second part will further develop one sociocultural approach – an application of Valsiner’s (1997) zone theory, illustrate its use in my own research involving prospective mathematics teachers, beginning mathematics teachers, and mathematics teachers in professional development programs, and identify further empirical work that is needed to support and elaborate the theory. The final part of the lecture will examine, from a sociocultural perspective, what it means to “learn” from research in or into teacher education, leading to a proposal that zone theory might offer a sociocultural framework for understanding the work of mathematics teacher-educator-researchers.

References
Adler, J., Ball, D., Krainer, K., Lin, F-L., & Novotna, J. (2005). Reflections on an emerging field: Researching mathematics teacher education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 60, 359-381.
Da Ponte, P., & Chapman, O. (2006). Mathematics teachers’ knowledge and practices. In A. Gutierrez & P. Boero (Eds.), Handbook of research on the psychology of mathematics education: Past, present and future (pp. 461-494). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Harré, R., & Gillett, G. (1994). The discursive mind. London, UK: Sage.
Lerman, S. (1996). Socio-cultural approaches to mathematics teaching and learning. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 31(1-2), 1-9.
Lerman, S. (2001). A review of research perspectives on mathematics teacher education. In F.-L. Lin & T. Cooney (Eds.), Making sense of mathematics teacher education: Past, present and future (pp. 33-52). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Llinares, S., & Krainer, K. (2006). Mathematics (student) teachers and teacher educators as learners. In A. Gutierrez & P. Boero (Eds.), Handbook of research on the psychology of mathematics education: Past, present and future (pp. 429-459). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Valsiner, J. (1997). Culture and the development of children’s action: A theory of human development. (2nd ed.) New York: John Wiley & Sons.