This edition is an essential resource for students, researchers, teacher educators and curriculum policy makers in the field of mathematics education.

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.

The audience remains much the same as for the 1992 Handbook, namely, mathematics education researchers and other scholars conducting work in mathematics education. This group includes college and university faculty, graduate students, investigators in research and development centers, and staff members at federal, state, and local agencies that conduct and use research within the discipline of mathematics. The intent of the authors of this volume is to provide useful perspectives as well as pertinent information for conducting investigations that are informed by previous work. The Handbook should also be a useful textbook for graduate research seminars. In addition to the audience mentioned above, the present Handbook contains chapters that should be relevant to four other groups: teacher educators, curriculum developers, state and national policy makers, and test developers and others involved with assessment. Taken as a whole, the chapters reflects the mathematics education research community's willingness to accept the challenge of helping the public understand what mathematics education research is all about and what the relevance of their research fi ndings might be for those outside their immediate community.

The International Handbook of Science Education is a two volume edition pertaining to the most significant issues in science education. It is a follow-up to the first Handbook, published in 1998, which is seen as the most authoritative resource ever produced in science education. The chapters in this edition are reviews of research in science education and retain the strong international flavor of the project. It covers the diverse theories and methods that have been a foundation for science education and continue to characterize this field. Each section contains a lead chapter that provides an overview and synthesis of the field and related chapters that provide a narrower focus on research and current thinking on the key issues in that field. Leading researchers from around the world have participated as authors and consultants to produce a resource that is comprehensive, detailed and up to date. The chapters provide the most recent and advanced thinking in science education making the Handbook again the most authoritative resource in science education.

This Handbook presents an overview and analysis of the international `state-of-the-field' of mathematics education at the end of the 20th century. The more than 150 authors, editors and chapter reviewers involved in its production come from a range of countries and cultures. They have created a book of 36 original chapters in four sections, surveying the variety of practices, and the range of disciplinary interconnections, which characterise the field today, and providing perspectives on the study of mathematics education for the 21st century. It is first and foremost a reference work, and will appeal to anyone seeking up-to-date knowledge about the main developments in mathematics education. These will include teachers, student teachers and student researchers starting out on a serious study of the subject, as well as experienced researchers, teacher educators, educational policy-makers and curriculum developers who need to be aware of the latest areas of knowledge development.

The four sections in this Third International Handbook are concerned with: (a) social, political and cultural dimensions in mathematics education; (b) mathematics education as a field of study; (c) technology in the mathematics curriculum; and (d) international perspectives on mathematics education. These themes are taken up by 84 internationally-recognized scholars, based in 26 different nations. Each of section is structured on the basis of past, present and future aspects. The first chapter in a section provides historical perspectives (“How did we get to where we are now?”); the middle chapters in a section analyze present-day key issues and themes (“Where are we now, and what recent events have been especially significant?”); and the final chapter in a section reflects on policy matters (“Where are we going, and what should we do?”). Readership: Teachers, mathematics educators, ed.policy makers, mathematicians, graduate students, undergraduate students. Large set of authoritative, international authors.​