On Research in Teaching and Learning Mathematical Modeling

There is an old adage,"You can't find something if you don't know what Äòit' is that you are seeking!" This column is titled "In Search of Research" in part because it often is hard to find evidence that supports the teaching and learning of mathematical modeling, and one long-term goal of the column is to present that evidence in an organized fashion. However, since it is education and not science, it can be difficult to examine that evidence with clarity, or to even agree on the parameters for judging what research says about practice.This particular article will focus attention on what "it" is.