Implementation of mathematics education research as crossing the boundary between disciplined inquiry and teacher inquiry

Inquiry into the teaching and learning of mathematics is a central aspect of the work of both the mathematics teacher and the mathematics education researcher, yet there are profound differences between the practices and processes underlying educational inquiries within each community. These differences are known to hinder implementation of research, yet they can also become a valuable resource. This paper explores a particular model of implementation of research: mathematics teachers adopt and adapt practices and processes of disciplined educational inquiry in a co-learning partnership with mathematics education researchers. We present a narrative inquiry of a teacher–researcher community that designed and studied classroom activities aimed at encouraging students to ask meaningful mathematical questions. The data analysis, informed by the literature on boundary objects and boundary crossing, highlights how the teachers and researchers leveraged their different processes and practices of educational inquiry as a resource in their collaborative inquiry. We conclude by suggesting that informed and thoughtful attention to the differences between teacher inquiry and disciplined inquiry may support and enhance mathematics education research implementation.