1. Principals’ conceptions of mathematics instruction: Co-constructing sophisticated instructional vision through professional development.
- Author
-
Kimmerling, Christina, Fuentes Acevedo, Patricia, and Santagata, Rossella
- Subjects
- *
CAREER development , *ELEMENTARY school principals , *PROFESSIONAL employee training , *MATHEMATICS education , *LABORATORY schools - Abstract
ObjectivesMethodsResultsConclusionsAlthough a principal’s instructional vision is recognized as important for schoolwide improvement efforts, little is known about how principals conceive of mathematics instruction or how professional learning opportunities shape their instructional vision. This article explores principals’ conceptions of mathematics instruction after participating in learning experiences designed to support the development of a vision of high-quality instruction.Through a design-based research approach, we created classroom-based learning experiences for six elementary school principals to develop their vision of high-quality mathematics instruction in the context of a research-practice partnership. Transcripts from the learning experiences and follow-up interviews were analysed qualitatively.Findings illustrate nuances in participating principals’ conceptions of mathematics instruction and how their role shaped their vision. Principals attended to the importance of the teacher in actively shaping learning experiences, but were less consistent in describing other dimensions of high-quality instruction such as mathematics tasks. Findings suggest that principals’ conceptions aligned with features of high-quality instruction to the extent they were discussed or elevated during the professional learning experience.Our analysis highlights the importance of considering principals’ unique perspectives in professional development around high-quality mathematics instruction and has implications for future practice-embedded principal learning opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF