Faculty

>> Friel, Susan

“My mission is to empower others to make sense of mathematics. What is it about the teaching and learning of mathematics that keeps people from experiencing confidence and success in their abilities? How is it possible for people to claim, almost with pride, ‘I never could do mathematics,’ or to feel such fear that they experience severe anxiety when learning mathematics? What is it that I can do to change these circumstances?” – Susan Friel

 Photo of Susan Friel
Title

Professor of Mathematics Education

Telephone/
Fax/
Email

T 919.962.6605
F 919.962.1533
sfriel@email.unc.edu

Office/CB

201B Peabody Hall
CB 3500

Bio

A former elementary and middle grades classroom teacher, Susan N. Friel is a professor in mathematics education in the School of Education. She teaches undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in several programs at the School including: Elementary Education; Middle Grades; Curriculum and Instruction; Culture, Curriculum and Change; and the Master of Education Program for Experienced Teachers where she also serves as program coordinator. Friel is particularly interested in the design of effective mathematics/mathematics education curricula. Each course she teaches is an ongoing research and development project; the current version of instruction reflects the influence of all lessons learned in prior offerings of that course.

Friel is the co-author of three published curricula, each developed with a grant from the National Science Foundation: Used Numbers, a statistics and data analysis program for K-5 students; Teach-Stat Project, a professional development program in statistics and data analysis for elementary teachers; and, most recently, the Connected Mathematics Program, a middle grades 6-8 mathematics curriculum. Friel is active professionally on the national and local levels through a variety of mathematics education organizations including the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators and the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Educational Background
  • Ed.D. 1983 - Boston University, Mathematics Education
  • M.Ed. 1974 - Lesley College, Independent Study Masters Program - Elementary Mathematics Specialist
  • B.A. 1967 - Elmira College, Economics, Business Administration
Research Interests
  • Early Childhood Mathematics Education
  • Middle Grades Mathematics Education
  • Teacher Professional Development
  • Statistics Education, K-8
  • Research Overview
Teaching Areas
  • Mathematics Education, K-8
Honors & Awards  
Funded Research
  • 2000-present, Co-Principal Investigator, Connect mathematics phase II: A proposal for research and curriculum revision of the Connected Mathematics Project Middle Grades Program.
  • 1999-present, CMP Curriculum Collaborator, Tinker plots: Tools and curricula for data analysis in the middle school.
Selected Professional Affiliations
  • 1999-present, Member, Smith Middle School Planning Team.
  • 1999-present, Member, Navigations Committee. Appointed by the President of NCTM.
  • 1999-2000, Consultant for PBS Mathline Preservice Initiative working with the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
  • 1999-2000, Co-Chair, Third Annual Meeting of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
  • 1997-1999, Steering Committee Member, Special Interest Group on Research in Mathematics Education, affiliated with AERA.
  • 1997-1999, Member-at-large, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
  • 1996-1998, Co-Chair, Curriculum Frameworks Committee - Mathematics; Project sponsored by the NC Department of Public Instruction.
Public Service  
Selected Publications

Friel, S. N., Curcio, F. R., & Bright, G. W. (March 2001) Making sense of graphs: Critical Factors influencing comprehension and instructional implications. Journal of Research in Mathematics Education. 32 (2), pp. 124-158.

Friel, S. N. (2000). Problem based mathematics for diverse learners in grades 6-8. Perspectives: The International Dyslexia Association, 26 (3), 28-29.

Friel, S. N. (2000). MaSTech: Mathematics, science, and technology. Educational Technology and Society, 3 (3).

Friel, S. N., & Carboni, L. W. (2000) Using video-based pedagogy in an elementary mathematics methods course. School Science and Mathematics Journal, 100, 118-127.

Friel, S. N., & O'Connor, W. (1998) Sticks to the roof of your mouth. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 4, 404-411.
Selected Presentations

 
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