ALAN 1. BISHOP The first International Handbook on Mathematics Education was published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1996. However, most of the writing for that handbook was done in 1995 and generally reflected the main research and development foci prior to 1994. There were four sections, 36 chapters, and some 150 people contributed to the final volume either as author, reviewer, editor, or critical friend. The task was a monumental one, attempting to cover the major research and practice developments in the international field of mathematics education as it appeared to the contributors in 1995. Inevitably there were certain omissions, some developments were only starting to emerge, and some literatures were only sketchy and speculative. However that Handbook has had to be reprinted three times, so it clearly fulfilled a need and I personally hope that it lived up to what I wrote in its Introduction: The Handbook thus attempts not merely to present a description of the international 'state-of-the-field', but also to offer synthetic and reflective overviews on the different directions being taken by the field, on the gaps existing in our present knowledge, on the current problems being faced, and on the future possibilities for development. (Bishop et aI. , 1996) Since that time there has been even more activity in our field, and now seems a good time to take stock again, to reflect on what has happened since 1995, and to create a second Handbook with the same overall goals.

Essential reference to all those who shape educational policy

One.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Mathematics, mathematics education and economic conditions.- 3 Is mathematics for all?.- 4 Mathematical literacy.- 5 Lifelong mathematics education.- 6 International comparative research in mathematics education.- 7 Mathematics education in international and global contexts.- 8 Introduction.- 9 Technology and mathematics education: a multidimensional overview of recent research and innovation.- 10 Influence of technology on the mathematics curriculum.- 11 What can digital technologies take from and bring to research in mathematics education.- 12 Technology as a tool for teaching undergraduate mathematics.- 13 Mathematics teacher education and technology.- Two.- 14 Introduction.- 15 Getting the description right and making it count.- 16 The impact of educational research on mathematics education.- 17 Preparing mathematics education researchers for disciplined inquiry.- 18 Mathematics teachers as researchers.- 19 Researching mathematics education in situations of social and political conflict.- 20 Obstacles to the dissemination of mathematics education research.- 21 Introduction.- 22 Challenging and changing mathematics teaching classroom practices.- 23 Towards a didactic model for assessment design in mathematics education.- 24 Values in mathematics teaching - The hidden persuaders?.- 25 Regulating the entry of teachers of mathematics into the profession: Challenges, new models, and glimpses into the future.- 26 Examining the mathematics in mathematics teacher education.- 27 Educating new mathematics teachers: Integrating theory and practice, and the roles of practising teachers.- 28 Professional development in mathematics education: Trends and tasks.- List of Principal Authors.- Index of Names.- Index of Subjects.