Ruth Heaton, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education

Ruth Heaton is currently an associate professor in the Center for Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in mathematics education. Her primary research area focuses on teacher learning. She was co-principal investigator of Math Matters, an NSF-funded project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with the primary goal to improve the mathematical and pedagogical preparation of future elementary teachers. The main focus of the project was to provide a year-long experience for a cohort of UNL students, aimed at integrating math content courses with methods courses and practicum experiences.

While funded by NSF as a program development project, Heaton continues to use Math Matters as a site for continued inquiry into two major research questions: What do teachers need to know to teach mathematics in meaningful ways to children, and how best are they going to learn it? She is now studying the mathematical practices of Math Matters graduates, as they complete their first few years of teaching.

Heaton received her doctorate in curriculum, teaching and educational policy from Michigan State University in 1994.