Search

Grounded in a close partnership between a university, school district, and non-profit organization, this 5-year mathematics professional development project involves 27 elementary teachers prepared and supported as Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMSs). The project aims to develop EMSs who deliver ambitious mathematics instruction in their classrooms and serve as informal mathematics teacher leaders. They complete a university's K-5 Mathematics and Teacher Supporting & Coaching Endorsement programs and participate in Professional Learning Communities and individual mentoring. Described here are the partners, the project's components, and the ways in which the EMSs engaged in teacher leadership across Year 1. Central to the project is the school-university-community partnership, with the components supporting reciprocity with mutual benefits for all partners, such as high quality clinical experiences for teacher candidates, coaching for novice teachers, and engagement with families and caregivers.

This 5-year mathematics professional development project involves 27 elementary teachers prepared and supported as Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMSs) in high-need, urban schools. The EMSs are a distinctive population as informal teacher leaders, with a primary responsibility of teaching students. Described here are data collected at the end of Year 1 via a survey of coaching practices, a teacher leader record, and individual and focus group interviews. The findings illuminate the variety of ways they were serving as a more knowledgeable other and practicing agency in this teacher leadership. They were agentic in their teacher leader efforts by navigating constraints through: focusing on incremental changes; developing collegial, trusting relationships with peers; and leaning into the network of teacher support in the project. The findings also provide insights into how their primary and concurrent role as teacher of students provided credibility and understanding with fellow teachers, contributing to affordances in their informal teacher leader capacity.

This mixed-methods study examined prospective elementary teachers' (N = 32) mathematical knowledge and mathematics self-efficacy while learning about the Singapore Modeling Method in a university mathematics course. Pre- and post- quantitative data were collected via two content knowledge assessments and one belief survey, and qualitative data were gathered through individual interviews. The quantitative data analysis showed that content knowledge did not change significantly, whereas mathematics self-efficacy did change significantly. Three themes from the interviews evidenced growth in mathematical knowledge: "justifying reasoning in problem solving with visual clarity," "variety of valid strategies," and "changes in mathematics self-efficacy and connections with content knowledge."

Within a global context of more standardization of teacher preparation, programs in the USA are increasingly using standardized teacher performance assessments such as edTPA to evaluate prospective teachers' instructional effectiveness and readiness for their own classroom. This study was conducted in a state recently requiring successful completion of edTPA for initial teacher certification. Phenomenological methodology was used to examine the lived experiences of six elementary prospective teachers completing Elementary Education edTPA: Assessing Students' Mathematics Learning (i.e., Math Task 4) during student teaching. Data were collected via 24 individual, phenomenological interviews at specific phases during the student teaching semester. Whole-Part-Whole analysis revealed the prospective teachers found themselves in a state of elusiveness as they engaged in Math Task 4. Three themes provide the structure for "elusiveness," including "juggling Math Task 4 in student teaching classrooms," "from relying on experts to standing alone," "and navigating edTPA processes." Understanding prospective teachers' lived experiences with Math Task 4 provides insights into both needed supports for their successful completion of the task and some of the issues with a high stakes teacher performance assessment embedded in the student teaching semester.

In response to increased accountability demands placed on teacher preparation programs across the US, some programs are using standardized teacher performance assessments, such as edTPA. A recent mandate for this study's elementary teacher preparation program is teacher candidates' successful completion of edTPA for teacher certification. A case study design explored the experiences and views of multiple stakeholders (instructors, supervisors, administrators, teacher candidates, and cooperating teachers, N = 60) as they engaged in edTPA. Data were collected via two surveys and individual interviews. The effects of edTPA were visible across the data in a variety of ways, as stakeholders found the assessment overwhelming, often taking precedence because of its high-stakes nature. Changes were questioned, as this program was already held in high regard and produced high-quality teachers prepared for urban school contexts. Analysis of the interview data revealed three themes: Assets of edTPA, edTPA-produced Changes, and Not a Fair Measure.

Increased accountability demands are being placed on teacher preparation programs across the USA to demonstrate competencies of their teacher candidates. As a means of evaluating teacher candidates' instructional effectiveness and readiness for their own classrooms, some programs are using standardized teacher performance assessments, with faculty navigating how to respond to these requirements while maintaining a focus on desired learning outcomes of methods courses. This study's elementary teacher preparation program is located in one of the states recently requiring successful completion of the Elementary Education edTPA, which includes four tasks with one focused on mathematics (i.e., Math Task 4). A case study design was used to explore the preparation of teacher candidates (N = 51) for edTPA during a mathematics methods course emphasizing Cognitively Guided Instruction that included a simulated Math Task 4 assignment. The study specifically investigated changes in mathematical beliefs across the course and perspectives on engagement in the simulated Math Task 4. Data were collected via two belief surveys: an open-ended questionnaire and individual interviews of six participants. The quantitative findings show two important course intentions--that pedagogical beliefs would shift toward more cognitive alignment and teaching efficacy beliefs would increase--were not realized. The qualitative data provide insights into some of the struggles associated with edTPA, including pronounced anxiety and substantial misalignment with classroom placements, serving as a filter for learning and change during the course.

This mixed-methods study explored the pedagogical practices of Prospective Elementary Mathematics Specialists (PEMSs) as they completed a university K-5 Mathematics Endorsement program. Participants were 13 elementary teachers at an urban, high-needs charter school. Data were collected via individual interviews, written reflections on enacted teaching practices, two observations of classroom teaching practices, and a 36-item Cognitively Guided Instruction Teacher Knowledge Assessment. The findings show the PEMSs were connecting their learning during program courses with instructional practices in their classrooms, as 85% were implementing standards-based learning environments (SBLEs) at a high level, with the classroom event of providing their students opportunities to make conjectures about mathematical ideas as a relative struggle. The PEMSs described pedagogical shifts across the program, providing insights into these changes, along with how particular program components contributed, with the emergent themes of "skepticism," "trying it on," "shifters," and "need more support."

This quantitative study investigated the relationships among practicing elementary teachers' (N = 153) beliefs about mathematics and its teaching and learning, mathematics anxiety, and instructional practices in mathematics. When viewed singly, the findings reveal the teachers with higher levels of mathematics anxiety tend to use less standards-based instruction and those with beliefs oriented toward a problem-solving view of mathematics reported more standards-based teaching. A combined analysis shows that after controlling for mathematical beliefs, teaching longevity, and educational degree attainment, there is no relationship between teachers' mathematics anxiety and instructional practices. These findings suggest a spurious relationship between anxiety and practices, with beliefs having the strongest relationship with practices. Several suggestions for positively influencing the mathematical beliefs and affect in general of elementary teachers while learning mathematics are offered.