Patricia Moyer-Packenham

Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Associate Professor
Director, Mathematics Education Center
Coordinator, Mathematics Education Leadership

Contact Information

Send email to pmoyer@gmu.edu

Phone: (703) 993-3926
Fax: (703) 993-3643

George Mason University, Commerce II 207A
4085 University Drive MS 4C2
Fairfax, VA

Profile

Patricia S. Moyer-Packenham is Coordinator and Associate Professor for the Mathematics Education Leadership Program in the Graduate School of Education and Director of the Mathematics Education Center at George Mason University. She teaches graduate mathematics courses in the Mathematics Education Leadership and Elementary Education programs. She received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in mathematics education from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998, her M.Ed. from Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1988, and her B.S. from The Pennsylvania State University in 1983. Before coming to Mason she was an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at The University of Alabama and Assistant Coordinator of the MSEN PreCollege Program at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Moyer-Packenham was an elementary and middle school classroom teacher for 10 years in Pennsylvania.

Moyer-Packenham is currently a Project Investigator on the Math and Science Partnership Program Evaluation, a $14.7 million dollar evaluation project funded by the National Science Foundation. Her responsibilities in the evaluation include directing and managing the $3.5 million dollar subcontract at George Mason University; collaborating with partner universities and research organizations, including COSMOS Corp., Brown and Vanderbilt Universities; hiring and supervising Research Faculty, Administrative Staff, and Graduate Research Assistants; collaborating with tenure line faculty in CEHD and the Mathematics Dept. to design research studies within the evaluation project; and publishing and presenting evaluation findings (with Lead PI, R. Yin, and Co-PIs, K. Wong and J. Scherer).

Dr. Moyer-Packenham's research focuses on uses of mathematics representations (including physical, pictorial, symbolic, and virtual), and teacher quality and development in mathematics. Her publications include a book titled What Principals Need to Know About Teaching Mathematics, numerous journal articles on manipulatives and virtual manipulatives, book chapters, refereed proceedings, and contributions to mathematics methods textbooks. She has been the principal investigator of many grants including eight professional development grants for mathematics teachers. She has received funding from the National Science Foundation, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and the North Carolina BioTechnology Center.

Research Interests

  • Mathematics representations (including physical, pictorial, symbolic, and virtual)
  • Mathematics teacher quality and development

Recent Publications

  • Suh, J., & Moyer, P. S. (2007). Developing student’ representational fluency using virtual and physical algebra balances. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 26(2), 155-173.
  • Moyer, P. S., Dockery, K., Jamieson, S., & Ross, J. (2006). Code RED (remediation and enrichment days): The complex journey of a school and university partnership’s process to increase mathematics achievement. Action in Teacher Education, 28(4), 75-91.
  • Moyer-Packenham, P. S., Bolyard, J. J., Oh, H., Kridler, P., & Salkind, G. (2006). Representations of teacher quality, quantity, and diversity in a national mathematics and science program. Journal of Educational Research & Policy Studies, 6(2), 1-40.
  • Moyer, P. S., & Husman, J. (2006). Integrating coursework and field placements: The impact on preservice elementary mathematics teachers' connections to teaching. Teacher Education Quarterly, 33(1), 37-56.
  • Moyer-Packenham, P. S. (2005). Using virtual manipulatives to investigate patterns and generate rules in algebra. Teaching Children Mathematics, 11(8), 437-444.
  • Reimer, K., & Moyer, P. S. (2005). Third graders learn about fractions using virtual manipulatives: A classroom study. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 24(1), 5-25.
  • Suh, J., Moyer, P. S., & Heo, H.-J. (2005). Examining technology uses in the classroom: Developing fraction sense using virtual manipulative concept tutorials. The Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 3(4), 1-22.
  • Moyer, P. S., Niezgoda, D., & Stanley, J. (2005). Young children's use of virtual manipulatives and other forms of mathematical representations. In W. J. Masalski & P.C. Elliott (Eds.), Technology-supported mathematics learning environments: Sixty-seventh yearbook (pp. 17-34). Reston, VA: NCTM.
  • Moyer-Packenham, P. S. (2004). The interview assignment: Evaluating a teacher candidate's knowledge of mathematics content, questioning, and assessment. In T. Watanabe & D. R. Thompson (Eds.), The work of mathematics teacher educators, 1, 169-188. San Diego, CA: Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
  • Moyer, P. S., & Jones, M. G. (2004). Controlling choice: Teachers, students, and manipulatives in mathematics classrooms. School Science and Mathematics, 104(1), 16-31.
  • Moyer, P. S., Bolyard, J. J., & Spikell, M. A. (2002). What are virtual manipulatives? Teaching Children Mathematics, 8(6), 372-377.
  • Shellard, E., & Moyer, P. S. (2002). What principals need to know about teaching mathematics. Alexandria, VA: National Assoc. of Elementary School Principals/Educational Research Services.
  • Moyer, P. S. (2001). Are we having fun yet? How teachers use manipulatives to teach mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 47(2), 175-197.

Other Information

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Courses Taught This Semester

No courses taught this semester.