Coaching to develop teacher professional noticing: planning with students and mathematics in mind

Purpose This paper examines how intentional mathematics coaching practices can develop teacher professional noticing of “ambitious teaching practices” (NCTM, 2020) through connected, collaborative coaching cycles. Design/methodology/approach Narrative analysis is used to examine observations of a mathematics coach and novice teacher to better understand the role of the coach in helping teachers attend to ambitious mathematics teaching (AMT) practices. Findings The initial findings of this study suggest that intentional use of focused goals, iterative coaching cycles and a gradual release model of coaching can support shifts in noticing of AMT from being led by the coach to being facilitated by the teacher. Originality/value This study offers new insights into the functions of mathematics coaching that can foster shifts in teacher noticing and practice toward AMT. It contributes to the literature on what mathematics coaching looks and sounds like in the context of conversations with teachers, as well as the potential influence that structured, intentional, ongoing coaching supports can have on teacher noticing

Beyond Traditional Teacher Preparation: Value-add Experiences for Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers

The current pool of highly qualified secondary mathematics teachers is woefully inadequate to address the needs of schools across the United States and other countries internationally. In STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) areas, providing quality instruction in a changing world requires continuous change and innovation as programs prepare and train teachers. University teacher preparation programs wrestle with ways to provide wider professional experiences (WPE) within social learning environments called communities of practice (CoP). This qualitative study examines a university-led undergraduate scholarship program, aimed at recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified secondary preservice mathematics teacher candidates. With increased exposure to mathematics content, mathematical teaching pedagogy, and community outreach beyond traditional preparation requirements, the goal of the study is to determine the immediate and potential value participants, undergraduate students, found engaging in a unique, CoP-based program. Findings reveal that participants concurrently reported both immediate and potential value in teaching experiences and ideas even when engaging in more mathematics or indirect teaching environments. Further, while mentoring is a key feature of the program, participants rarely identified mentoring or faculty support as an immediate or potential value although mentors were often the conduit for participants’ engagement in WPE

What’s the Value? Measuring Value in Complex Social Learning Environments with Pre-service Mathematics Teachers

At the national level, undergraduate mathematics teacher preparation programs are shifting to develop teachers who not only understand current research-informed instructional practices but also have firsthand experiences learning, teaching, and collaborating in student-centered environments (CBMS, 2016). Understanding the degree to which these experiences impact pre-service teachers’ learning is challenging to measure. This paper describes the efforts of a Track 1 National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship grant to recruit and provide wider professional experiences to develop high-quality secondary mathematics teacher candidates and how the research team utilizes a value framework (Wenger, Traynor, & de Laat, 2014) to study programmatic impact. The guiding questions for this research are: To what extent do pre-service mathematics teachers value participation in extended programs to support their work as mathematicians and future teachers? and How can researchers and practitioners measure value as a construct? This paper examines: (a) how we leverage the value framework in a variety of ways, (b) preliminary findings on what Noyce participants value and the experiences that led to their learning, and (c) implications for future work in pre-service mathematics teacher preparation programs

Supporting Teacher Retention in Diverse Educational Settings (STRIDES)

The United States faces a continuing shortage of well-prepared secondary mathematics teachers, among the worst of any subject (Malkus, Hoyer, & Sparks, 2015). To address this issue, schools often rely on both inservice professional development, which not all teachers may opt to participate in, as well as initial teacher preparation programs, to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers. The quality of teacher preparation, particularly related to pedagogical practice, significantly impacts new teacher attrition (Ingersoll, Merrill, & May, 2014). Studies find that 50% of all teachers leave the profession within the first five years (Foster, 2010), and the rate of departure for mathematics teachers is highest in high-poverty schools (e.g., Goldring, Taie, & Riddles, 2014). According to the Learning Policy Institute, 40% of newly hired mathematics or science teachers are underprepared, and underprepared teachers are far more likely to teach in schools serving students of color and low-income students (Carver-Thomas, 2018). These studies speak to the urgency of both training highly qualified mathematics teachers and providing ongoing support during their induction years to ensure new teachers find the success and job satisfaction needed to retain them in the profession. The Secondary Teacher Recruitment and Induction in Diverse Educational Settings (STRIDES) RAC members strive to create a sustainable and cohesive system of professional support (from pre-service through early years in the profession) to retain high-quality secondary mathematics teachers in the field. This report highlights the current work of the STRIDES team to develop timely interventions and supports through which to meet this goal

Becoming a STEM Teacher: Examining teachers’ practice-linked identities through practice-based autobiographies

To provide equitable high-quality STEM education, teachers must be prepared to engage with the tools and practices and to adopt STEM identities. This project investigates the ways teachers’ self-described histories and conceptions of materials and relationships embedded in their STEM experiences fostered or inhibited practice-linked STEM identities. Preliminary findings explore how practicing and pre-service educators conceptualize STEM and how their understanding of STEM both supports and challenges their teaching practice

Investigating individual and collective value within a network of communities of practice

This report examines the value-add of mathematics faculty participating in regional communities of practice (CoPs) embedded within a larger Math CoP network. The CoPs and the network are aimed at fostering the use of teaching with inquiry practices in undergraduate mathematics courses. We examine value found at the individual participant level as well as at the CoP level within the larger network. We present themes identified using Wenger, Traynor and de Laat’s (2011) value framework to illustrate how individuals and CoPs find value within the network. In this paper we provide an initial look at how the network can support both regional communities and individual members in finding value and sustaining interaction within the CoP. Supporting the achievement of secondary and post-secondary students in mathematics is an ongoing area of concern, particularly due to its impact on recruiting and retaining students in STEM fields (Fayer et al., 2017; Rose & Betts, 2001). One effort to address this is a focus by mathematics faculty on the use of evidence-based teaching practices, such as active learning, to support undergraduate student success. Despite evidence that lecture style instruction is not effective for many students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, it is still frequently used by many undergraduate STEM faculty (Jaworski & Gellert, 2011; Laursen et al., 2019; Stains et al., 2018). Faculty who attempt to employ evidence-based, effective teaching practices often find themselves doing so in isolation, which can make sustained implementation difficult (Banta, 2003). For the purpose of this paper, we use the term “teaching with inquiry” to encapsulate many forms of evidence-based teaching strategies that include: active learning, inquiry-based learning (IBL), project-based learning, problem-based learning, student-centered teaching, ambitious teaching, and team-based learning. Communities of practice (CoPs) provide one avenue of support for like-minded mathematics faculty as they pursue effective teaching and professional development. CoPs focused on teaching with inquiry are positioned to provide support systems by connecting faculty members with common goals and a vision for teaching

Field Experience Reimagined: Integrating Microteaches to Foster Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on teacher preparation programs. With field experiences being among the most effective pathways to connect theory to practice and contributing significantly to preservice teachers’ self-efficacy development, teacher preparation programs have had to reimagine these experiences. In this article, the authors share how their teacher preparation program incorporated microteaches to continue fostering self-efficacy during pandemic times and the potential implications of these programmatic adaptations

Supporting Teaching and Learning Reform in College Mathematics: Finding Value in Communities of Practice

Improving college STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) student learning outcomes is an ongoing area of focus in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE). This reform includes challenging, changing, and adapting both teaching practices and the learning environment. Communities of practice (CoPs) can support faculty in making these shifts; however, creating large-scale instructional changes in STEM education requires a more careful look at the existing systems and structures in place. In this paper, we investigate a network of regional CoPs composed mainly of mathematics faculty from IHE focused on teaching with inquiry methods. Understanding what faculty need and value to support their instructional changes is important as CoPs and other mechanisms are put in place to increase student success. In this qualitative study, we use the value framework developed by Wenger et al. (2011) to dissect the variety of ways faculty engage and find value in their CoP participation. Faculty participants expressed that CoP participation created unique layers of value in helping them to identify resources to support teaching with inquiry especially during a pandemic, shift their beliefs about teaching, and engage with a network of peers about mathematics and teaching. Findings from this study, conducted during the COVID-19 global pandemic, provide preliminary insights for STEM stakeholders interested in large-scale, ongoing instructional reform to improve student learning outcomes and for networks interested in collectively supporting CoPs with ongoing rather than finite goals

Developing and supporting professional communities of mathematics teachers in Nebraska

For a number of years, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has focused on building a statewide partnership with mathematics teachers, schools, districts, and educational service units, to raise K-12 student achievement in mathematics. During this session, we will share a variety of our efforts to build professional communities of educators, including the NSF-funded grants NebraskaNOYCE, NebraskaMATH, and the Math in the Middle Institute Partnership. We will engage participants in a discussion of necessary and sufficient conditions to support such professional communities, and how such conditions can be created or worked around

Developing a network of regional inquiry-based learning (IBL) communities: Preliminary findings & key learnings on a grassroots initiative

Finding and creating communities of like-minded colleagues is easier said than done. Instructional and philosophical change, around the practice of inquiry, is complex and therefore, having access to quality resources, expertise and a supportive network can make a big difference. Especially during a global pandemic and sociopolitical unrest, leveraging existing and emerging networks of faculty working jointly on ideas and developing solutions can be advantageous. During this session, participants will hear about the inaugural year of a federally funded network of regional inquiry-based learning communities. Topics covered will include the network\u27s mission and goals, key infrastructure and implementation elements, and preliminary Fndings pertaining to participants\u27 engagement in their regional inquiry-based learning community and the broader network (adapted from a value framework developed by Wenger, Traynor, & DeLaat, 2014). Additionally, we will share insights on how regional communities address important issues in mathematics teaching and learning in terms of access, inclusivity, idea exchange, and innovation during times of change (www.iblcommunities.org)