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Associate Professor Orit Zaslavsky

Retired Faculty Member
אורית זסלבסקי

Resarch Interestes:

Professional development of secondary mathematics teachers and teacher-educators; characteristics of mathematics-related tasks that foster teacher and student learning, with a focus on the role and nature of tasks for secondary teacher education; evoking uncertainty and doubt as a vehicle for investigating and promoting secondary students' and teachers' mathematical understanding; the role of examples, non-examples and counter-examples in learning and teaching mathematics and in mathematical proof and proving.
  • Ph.D. (1987) &  M.Sc. (1980): Mathematics Education. Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
  • B.Sc. (1972):  Mathematics (extensive curriculum), Statistics, and Supplementary Studies. The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
  • High School Teaching Certificate in Mathematics (1974): Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

Theses

Ph.D.: An Empirical Investigation of Misconceptions in Quadratic Functions. Technion, Haifa, 1987. Nitsa Movshovitz-Hadar – advisor.

M.Sc.: Individualized Instruction as an Alternative Mode of Mathematics Teaching at the Technion. Technion, Haifa, 1980. Nitsa Movshovitz-Hadar – advisor.

Published Papers and Editorials

  1. Antonini, S., Presmeg, N., Mariotti, M. A., & Zaslavsky, O. (2011). On examples in mathematical thinking and learning. ZDM - Zentralblatt fuer Didaktik der Mathematik, 43(2), 191-194.
  2. Buchbinder, O. & Zaslavsky, O. (2011). Is this a coincidence? The role of examples in creating a need for proof. ZDM - Zentralblatt fuer Didaktik der Mathematik, 43(2), 269-281.
  3. Zaslavsky, O. (2010). The challenge of listening. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 13, 3-5.
  4. Peled, I. & Zaslavsky, O. (2008). Beyond local conceptual connections: Meta-knowledge about procedures. For the Learning of Mathematics, 28(3), 28-35.
  5. Zodik, I. & Zaslavsky, O. (2008). Characteristics of teachers' choice of examples in and for the mathematics classroom. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 69, 165-182.
  6. Zaslavsky, O. (2007). Tasks, teacher education, and teacher educators. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 10, 433-440.
  7. Zaslavsky, O. & Zodik, I. (2007): Mathematics teachers' choices of examples that potentially support or impede learning. Research in Mathematics Education, 9, 143-155.
  8. Zaslavsky, O. (2006). Past, present and future directions in fostering excellence in mathematics. Aleh – The (Israeli) Senior High School Mathematics Journal, No. 37, 24-29, in Hebrew.
  9. Zaslavsky, O. (2005). Seizing the opportunity to create uncertainty in learning mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 60, 297-321.
  10. Zaslavsky, O. & Shir, K. (2005). Students’ conceptions of a mathematical definition. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME), 36(4), 317-346.
  11. Zaslavsky, O. (2004). Learning events in the life of a community of mathematics educators. ZDM - Zentralblatt fuer Didaktik der Mathematik, 36(1), 20-26.
  12. Zaslavsky, O. & Leikin, R. (2004). Professional development of mathematics teacher-educators: Growth through practice. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 7(1), 5-32.
  13. Mashiach-Eizenberg, M. & Zaslavsky, O. (2004). Students’ verification strategies for combinatorial problems. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 6(1), 15-36.
  14. Mashiach-Eizenberg, M. & Zaslavsky, O. (2003). Cooperative problem solving in combinatorics – the inter-relations between control processes and successful solutions. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 22(4), 389-403.
  15. van Dormolen, J. & Zaslavsky, O. (2003). The many facets of a definition: The case of periodicity. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 22(1), 91-106.
  16. Leikin, R. & Zaslavsky, O. (2003). TeLeM – a program for promoting excellence in mathematics. Aleh – The (Israeli) Senior High School Mathematics Journal, No. 30, 36-44, in Hebrew.
  17. Zaslavsky, O. (2003). On teaching and learning algorithms – the case of Long Division. "Number Power" – The (Israeli) Elementary School Mathematics Journal, No. 6, 38-43, in Hebrew.
  18. Zaslavsky, O., Sela H., & Leron, U. (2002). Being sloppy about slope: The effect of changing the scale. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 49(1), 119-140.
  19. Zaslavsky, T., Zaslavsky, O. & Moore, M. (2001). Language influences on prospective mathematics teachers' understanding of probabilistic concepts. FOCUS on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 23 (2&3), 23-40.
  20. Leikin, R., Berman, A. & Zaslavsky, O. (2000). Learning through teaching: The case of symmetry. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 12, 16-34.
  21. Leikin, R., Berman, A. & Zaslavsky, O. (2000). Applications of symmetry to problem solving. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 31 (6), 799-809.
  22. Leikin, R. & Zaslavsky, O. (1999). Cooperative learning in mathematics. In the Connecting Research to Teaching Section of the Mathematics Teacher, 92, (3), 240-246.
  23. Leikin, R., Berman, A. & Zaslavsky, O. (1998). Definition of symmetry. Symmetry: Culture and Science, 9 (2-4), 375-382.
  24. Peled, I. & Zaslavsky, O. (1997). Counter-Examples that (only) Prove and Counter-Examples that (also) Explain. FOCUS on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 19 (3), 49-61.
  25. Leikin, R. & Zaslavsky, O. (1997). Facilitating students’ interactions in mathematics in a cooperative learning setting. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME), 28(3), 331-354.
  26. Zaslavsky, O. (1997). Conceptual obstacles in the learning of quadratic functions. FOCUS on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 19 (1), 20-44.
  27. Zaslavsky, O. & Peled, I. (1996). Inhibiting factors in generating examples by mathematics teachers and student-teachers: The case of binary operation. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME), 27(1), 67-78.
  28. Zaslavsky, O. (1995). Open-ended tasks as a trigger for mathematics teachers’ professional development. For the Learning of Mathematics, 15(3), 15-20.
  29. Leikin, R., Berman, A. & Zaslavsky, O. (1995). The role of symmetry in mathematical problem solving: an interdisciplinary approach. In G. Darvas, D. Nagy and M. Pardavi-Horvath (Eds.) Symmetry: Culture and Science, 6(2), Special Issue: Symmetry Natural and Artificial, 332-335.
  30. Zaslavsky, O., Movshovitz-Hadar, N. & Shmukler, A. (1995). A survey of the use of computers for mathematics. Aleh – The (Israeli) Senior High School Mathematics Journal, No. 16, 46-48, in Hebrew.
  31. Movshovitz-Hadar, N., Zaslavsky, O. & Shmukler, A. (1995). An intuitive basis for the fundamental theorem of algebra. Aleh – The (Israeli) Senior High School Mathematics Journal, No. 16, 56-66, in Hebrew.
  32. Zaslavsky, O. (1994). Tracing students’ misconceptions back to their teacher: A case of symmetry. Pythagoras, No. 33, 10-17.
  33. Movshovitz-Hadar, N. Shmukler, A. & Zaslavsky, O. (1994). Facilitating an intuitive basis for the fundamental theorem of algebra through graphical technologies. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching (JCMST), 13(3), 339-364.
  34. Patkin, D., Shaham, Z., Zaslavsky, O. & Movshovitz-Hadar, N. (1994). A survey of high school mathematics department heads’ needs and self-perception of their duty. Dapim, No. 18, 76-86, in Hebrew.
  35. Zaslavsky, O. (1994). Questions with multiple correct answers. Aleh – The (Israeli) Senior High School Mathematics Journal, No. 14, 56-60, in Hebrew.
  36. Leinhardt, G., Zaslavsky, O. & Stein, M.K. (1990). Functions, graphs and graphing: Tasks, learning and teaching. Review of Educational Research, 60(1), 1-64.
  37. Zaslavsky, O. & Movshovitz-Hadar, N. (1988). Inductive problem-sequences for independent study of linear algebra. International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 19(3), 421-434.
  38. Movshovitz-Hadar, N., Zaslavsky, O. & Inbar, S. (1987). An empirical classification model for errors in high school mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME), 18(1), 3-14.
  39. Movshovitz-Hadar, N., Inbar, S. & Zaslavsky, O. (1987). Sometimes students’ errors are our fault, Mathematics Teacher, 80(3), 191-194.
  40. Zaslavsky, O. & Movshovitz-Hadar, N. (1986). Independent learning of college mathematics: An inductive approach. A guest editorial, Undergraduate Mathematics and its Applications Journal (UMAP), 7(4), 277-280.
  41. Movshovitz-Hadar, N., Inbar, S. & Zaslavsky, O. (1986). Students’ distortions of theorems. FOCUS on Learning Problems in Mathematics, 8(1), 49-57.

Special Issues

  1. Zaslavsky, O., Watson, A., & Mason, J. (Eds.) (2007). The nature and role of tasks in mathematics teachers' education. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 10, Nos. 4-6, 201-440.
  2. Antonini, S., Presmeg, N., Mariotti, M. A., & Zaslavsky, O. (Eds.) (2011). Examples in mathematical thinking and learning from an educational perspective. ZDM - Zentralblatt fuer Didaktik der Mathematik, 43(2), 191-320.

Chapters in Edited Books

  1. Zaslavsky, O., Nickerson, S., Styliandes, A., Kidron, I., & Winicki, G. (in press). The need for proof and proving: Mathematical and pedagogical perspectives. In G. Hanna & M. de Villiers (Eds), Proof and proving in mathematics education. New York: Springer.
  2. Zaslavsky, O. & Sullivan, P. (2011). Setting the stage: A Conceptual framework for examining and developing tasks for mathematics teacher education. In O. Zaslavsky & P. Sullivan (Eds.), Constructing knowledge for teaching secondary mathematics: Tasks to enhance prospective and practicing teacher learning (pp. 1-18). New York: Springer.
  3. Zaslavsky, O. (2010). The explanatory power of examples in mathematics: Challenges for teaching. In M. K. Stein, & Kucan, L. (Eds.), Instructional explanations in the disciplines (pp. 107-128). New York: Springer.
  4. da Pedro, J. P., Zaslavsky, O., Silver, E., Borba, M., Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., Gal, H., Fiorentini, D., Miskulin, R., Passos, C., Palis, G. R., Huang, R., & Chapman, O. (2009). Tools and settings supporting mathematics teachers' learning in and from practice. In R. Even & D. L. Ball (Eds.), The Professional Education and Development of Teachers of Mathematics: The Fifteenth ICMI Study (pp. 185-209). New York: Springer.
  5. Zaslavsky, O. (2009). Mathematics educators' knowledge and development. In R. Even & D. L. Ball (Eds.), The Professional Education and Development of Teachers of Mathematics: The Fifteenth ICMI Study (pp. 105-111). New York: Springer.
  6. Zaslavsky, O. (2008). Meeting the challenges of mathematics teacher education through design and use of tasks that facilitate teacher learning. In B. Jaworski & T. Wood (Eds.), The Mathematics Teacher Educator as a Developing Professional, Vol. 4, of T. Wood (Series Ed.), The International Handbook of Mathematics Teacher Education (pp. 93-114). Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
  7. Zaslavsky, O., & Peled, I. (2007). Professional Development of Mathematics Educators. In B. Choksi & C. Natarajan (Eds.), epiSTEME Reviews: Research trends in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education (pp. 211-225). Mumbai, India: Macmillan Ltd.
  8. Zaslavsky, O., Chapman, O., & Leikin, R. (2003). Professional Development in Mathematics Education: Trends and Tasks. In A. J. Bishop, M. A. Clements, C. Keitel, J. Kilpatrick, and F. K. S. Leung (Eds.), Second International Handbook of Mathematics Education (pp. 877-917). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  9. Brandon, D., Dotan, M., Zaslavsky, O., & Leikin, R. (2003). Talent Development and Cultural Diversity. In P. Csermely & L. Lederman (Eds.), Science Education: Talent Recruitment and Public Understanding. NATO Science Series, (pp. 77-88). Budapest, Hungary: IOS Press.

Books

  1. Zaslavsky, O. & Sullivan, P. (Eds.) (2011). Constructing knowledge for teaching secondary mathematics: Tasks to enhance prospective and practicing teacher learning (320 pp.) New York, Springer.
  2. Zaslavsky, O. (Ed.) (1999). Proceedings of the 23rd Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 1 - 399 pp., Vol. 2 - 360 pp., Vol. 3 - 360 pp., Vol. 4 - 360 pp.). Haifa: Technion Printing Center.
  3. Hebrew-Russian-English Dictionary for Mathematical Terms (1992). Published by the Department of Education in Technology & Science, Technion, Haifa. Invited and funded by the Curricula Department, Israel Ministry of Education and Culture. (with A. Shmukler and others).

Text Books and Learning & Teaching Resource Material (in Hebrew)

Undergraduate Level:

  1. Vectors and Analytic Geometry – Vol. 1, 2, 3: Three modules for individual learning for first year Technion students (155 pp.), Technion experimental edition, Haifa, 1978 (in Hebrew; with N. Movshovitz-Hadar).

High-School Level:

  1. "Efshar Gam Acheret" – team-written mathematics textbooks for 7th & 8th grades, experimental editions. Bonus Books Publishing Company, 2010. (in Hebrew). A product of the curriculum design projects, O. Zaslavsky and L. Linchevski PIs.
  2. Starting with the Right Foot (with G. Ron) - 5 exemplary lesson openings for secondary school mathematics (within the framework of Kesher-Cham). Electronic version on Kesher-Cham site, http://kesher.ort.org.il/, 2005 (in Hebrew).
  3. Learning Mathematics in a Cooperative Mode – Trigonometry (with R. Leikin). A booklet for students and guidelines for teachers, including learning activities designed for cooperative learning of 3-unit trigonometry. MAALOTT – publishing house, Ltd., Tel Aviv, 2004 (in Hebrew).
  4. Mathematics for Enrichment Clubs – a series of 50 team-written booklets of activities for a three-year program of maths clubs for 6th-9th grade students, including guidelines for teachers, within the framework of the “TeLeM” Project (O. Zaslavsky director). Technion Printing Center, Haifa, 2001-2003 (in Hebrew).
  5. Doing Mathematics – a series of team-written booklets for mathematics teachers and teacher-educators, within the framework of “Tomorrow 98” Project (O. Zaslavsky director). Technion Printing Center, Haifa (in Hebrew):
  • A Collection of Mathematical Projects for Students, 1996;
  • Mathematical Questions with Multiple Correct Answers, 1996;
  • The Van Hiele Theory and Teaching Geometry, 1996;
  • The Complex Numbers, 1996;
  • The Real Numbers – Developing the Topic in Secondary School, 1997;
  • Periodicity – Multiple Approaches to Teaching the Concept, 1997;
  • Reflection – in and outside the Classroom, 1998;
  • Mathematical Herbs: A Collection of Stories about the History of Mathematics, Visual-Proofs, Paradoxes, Games and Puzzles, 1998

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