Lee Stiff
Encyclopedia
Lee Vernon Stiff is an American mathematics education
researcher, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at North Carolina State University
, and the author of several mathematics textbooks.
Stiff's father was "a factory worker with only a third-grade education". Despite his inauspicious family background, Stiff studied mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, graduating in 1971, and went on to earn a masters degree from Duke University
in 1974 and a doctorate in mathematics education from North Carolina State University in 1978. After teaching mathematics at the middle school and high school levels, and then holding a faculty position at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
beginning in 1978, he returned to NCSU in 1983.
From 2000 to 2002 Stiff was president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
. Under his leadership, the NCTM pushed for a greater emphasis on basic computational skills in elementary and secondary school mathematics education, and for an appropriate emphasis on conceptual understanding. Stiff rejected simple solutions to complex issues, saying that "Back to basics is moving backward. Number-crunching alone is no longer enough." Instead, Stiff has recommended better training and incentives for mathematics teachers, a teaching style that incorporates a variety of ways of looking at the same material, and an attitude that all students can learn mathematics regardless of their background.
In 1995 he was a Fulbright scholar in Ghana
. In 2009 he was an NCSU College Distinguished Award recipient, and in 2010 the NCSU College of Education gave him their Distinguished Alumni Award.
Mathematics education
In contemporary education, mathematics education is the practice of teaching and learning mathematics, along with the associated scholarly research....
researcher, a professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, and the author of several mathematics textbooks.
Stiff's father was "a factory worker with only a third-grade education". Despite his inauspicious family background, Stiff studied mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, graduating in 1971, and went on to earn a masters degree from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1974 and a doctorate in mathematics education from North Carolina State University in 1978. After teaching mathematics at the middle school and high school levels, and then holding a faculty position at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
beginning in 1978, he returned to NCSU in 1983.
From 2000 to 2002 Stiff was president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics was founded in 1920. It has grown to be the world's largest organization concerned with mathematics education, having close to 100,000 members across the USA and Canada, and internationally....
. Under his leadership, the NCTM pushed for a greater emphasis on basic computational skills in elementary and secondary school mathematics education, and for an appropriate emphasis on conceptual understanding. Stiff rejected simple solutions to complex issues, saying that "Back to basics is moving backward. Number-crunching alone is no longer enough." Instead, Stiff has recommended better training and incentives for mathematics teachers, a teaching style that incorporates a variety of ways of looking at the same material, and an attitude that all students can learn mathematics regardless of their background.
In 1995 he was a Fulbright scholar in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. In 2009 he was an NCSU College Distinguished Award recipient, and in 2010 the NCSU College of Education gave him their Distinguished Alumni Award.