Thu, 9/26: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
R547
Poster Session
McCormick Place
Room: Exhibit Hall B1
Audience
Pre-K to 2
3 to 5
6 to 8
8 to 10
10 to 12
Higher Education
Strands
Linking Research and Practice
Research
Presentations
A History of Mathematics Education During the Twentieth Century Compared to Present Day
This research provides a history of mathematics reform movements as they occurred in the United States during the twentieth century compared to the present day. Each decade is analyzed within the context of the following conceptual themes: historical context, education trends and philosophy, mathematics content, teacher education, pedagogy, and assessment. Results throughout the twentieth century show a continuous "pendulum swing" between drill and practice and discovery learning. These dichotomies are then reflected upon considering math education best practices in the twenty-first century. Recommendations for teaching and learning and best practices will be discussed.
Lead Speaker
Angela Walmsley, Concordia University Wisconsin
A Teacher Residency Program Emphasizing STEM Education in Rural Communities: What We Learned
Trends in teacher preparation have shown traditional pipelines (i.e., undergraduate programs) found at institutions of higher education in the U.S. are not producing enough teachers (U.S. DoE, 2015). Furthermore, the need for teachers in rural communities is especially significant (Villegas et al., 2012) where historically there has been an ongoing challenge in the recruitment and retention of teachers (Aragon, 2016; Barton, 2012). In this poster session, we will report on our findings on a university residency program designed to address the recruitment, preparation, and retention of P–12 teachers of mathematics in the rural communities in our state (Authors Blinded).
Lead Speaker
George J. Roy, University of South Carolina
Co-Speaker(s)
Kristin E. Harbour, University of South Carolina
Jen Monastra, University of South Carolina
Assessments as Tools for Student Engagement in Metacognition of Content, Voice, Agency, and Identity
This poster presents work being done around the development of formative assessments that center students as the foremost recipients, engaging students in metacognition around math content, and their voice, agency, and identity as math learners. In particular, this poster will showcase a past rubric-based assessment framework used within Algebra Project (AP) modules that will be applied to the future development of assessments for the Accessible Calculus Project (ACP), bringing Calculus to the Algebra level addressing access and equity.
Lead Speaker
Sara Weinberg, Algebra Project
Building Local Capacity for Facilitating Professional Learning to Support Accessible Math Instruction
This study examines how a mathematics professional learning (PL) program can contribute to building the capacity of local facilitators to implement PL designed to make high-quality instruction accessible to all students. Thirty-one local facilitators were trained in the use of the program and implemented it over one school year. Findings based on survey and observation data show that with appropriate support, local facilitators were able to implement the program with high fidelity, and program use contributed to their comfort and preparedness for facilitating PL. Facilitators who varied in recent PL experience benefited differently from the PL and support they received.
Lead Speaker
Babette Moeller, Education Development Center
Co-Speaker(s)
Teresa Duncan, Deacon Hill Research Associates
John Hitchcock, Westat
Matt McLeod, Education Development Center
Jason Schoeneberger, RTI International
Cultivating Mathematical Mindsets Through the Power of Play in Adult Learning
Much of the literature on play as a learning approach is based on the early years, particularly preschool and kindergarten, where it is an accepted pedagogical mode. However, this does not have to be the case. A playful pedagogy of mathematics can be codified and made real, rigorous, and authentic even in early mathematics methods courses. In this study, "play" is used as a vehicle to move mathematics instruction and learning beyond rote memorization to a more expansive understanding of mathematics. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were conducted to examine the pre-service teachers' conceptions of early mathematics and play.
Lead Speaker
Bilge Cerezci, National Louis University
Embedded Professional Development for Paraprofessionals Within Small-Group Mathematics Interventions
Teachers face a critical need for intensive math interventions for students. However, educator preparation and time present barriers. Our study implements a capacity-building model of training paraprofessionals while providing intervention to three small groups of 3rd-grade students needing support in multiplication. We assess student learning through a multiple baseline design, analysis of strategy development and engagement using video data, and interviews. We assess the efficacy of embedded professional development through interviews and analysis of teacher questioning and talk moves. The session connects research to practice by making connections to the immediate concerns of schools and practitioners around intervention and teacher training.
Lead Speaker
Rachel Lambert, University of California Santa Barbara
Co-Speaker
Avery McNiff, University of California Santa Barbara
Equipping Teachers With Generative AI Skills for Teaching and Learning Mathematics
With the increasing prominence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools in education, equipping teachers with actionable skills to use GenAI tools is crucial. This poster will present potential uses of GenAI tools in mathematics classrooms identified by scholarly research and showcase a few practical ways of using GenAI tools to create resources for mathematics lessons. This poster presentation will illicit discussions around the facilitators and barriers to applying these use cases in real-life classrooms and inform future research directions and industry efforts in educating teachers and pre-service teachers for efficient integration of GenAI tools in mathematics education contexts.
Lead Speaker
Shristi Shrestha, Iowa State University
Co-Speaker
Ji Yeong I, Iowa State University
Evaluating Readability Indices as Potential Tools for Supporting Algebra Students' Reading Skills
The purpose of this study is to identify readability indices that could help Algebra teachers evaluate the reading level of word problems and choose materials that align with both the reading levels of their students and the literacy requirements of state standardized tests. Four readability indices were identified and used to calculate the readability levels of 25 sample questions from the 2023 Ohio and Texas state Algebra tests. Preliminary results of the accuracy, distribution of sample scores, and scale interpretation for the indices are presented, and plans for future research are discussed.
Lead Speaker
Janet Engle, Ohio Northern University
Examining the Role of Deconstruct Calculus on Changing Students’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics
This is an action research study aimed at improving students' attitudes toward mathematics, especially in postsecondary, terminal math courses. It draws on literature highlighting the societal impact of mathematical attitudes on education and future generations. The research questions aim to quantify attitude changes and explore curriculum influences. The methodology is a mixed-methods design, utilizing surveys, journal artifacts, and focus groups. The study's significance lies in potential positive impacts on students, instructors, and the researcher's pedagogical growth. This poster will present the study design and some preliminary results for feedback prior to official data collection.
Lead Speaker
Kathryn Behling, University of South Carolina
Exploring the Influence of Boundary Objects on the Relationships Between Elementary Pre-Service Teachers and Cooperating Teachers
Clinical experience is a crucial yet complex component of pre-service teacher education. Gain insight into how a mathematics course assignment designed to serve as a boundary object influenced pre-service teachers' experiences at a pre-student teaching clinical placement. Specific areas of focus include pre-service teachers' hierarchical relationships with their cooperating teachers, approaches to teaching mathematics while at their clinical placements, and abilities to negotiate between their teacher education program and clinical experiences.
Lead Speaker
Erin OHalloran, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Facilitating Technology-Enabled Embodied Calculus Learning Experiences
Access to advanced mathematics, particularly calculus, is critical for modern mathematical literacy, yet remains inequitably distributed. This inequitable distribution disproportionately affects marginalized students in urban school districts. Despite recent efforts to expand course offerings, a lack of pedagogical support for teachers threatens true equity. This project addresses the gap by implementing Technology-Enabled Embodied Calculus Learning (TEECL) experiences. By providing supplemental support for teachers and exploring TEECL's efficacy, the project aims to enhance student learning experiences, leverage embodiment, and inform future STEM teacher development programs.
Lead Speaker
Robert Richardson, Johns Hopkins University
We discuss the development and execution of a professional development workshop given in Spring 2024. The purpose of the workshop was to show ways faculty can use AI to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics. We will show some of the highlights of the workshop and the results from data collected which includes post-workshop survey data and qualitative data from participants who tested the practices in their own classrooms. We conclude discussion projections of what AI can and (currently) cannot do.
Lead Speaker
Angela R Thompson, Governors State University
Imprecise Language as a Barrier to University Students’ Understanding of Trigonometry Functions
Imprecise language can hinder students' mathematical understanding and impede the development of conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. To investigate how imprecise language contributes to student errors, researchers analyzed the work of first-year college students to document their struggles with unit circle concepts. Findings showed that students lacked a deep understanding of radians and struggled to move from understanding trigonometric functions in the context of triangles to the context of the unit circle. Evidence of this struggle was seen in imprecise diagrams and formulas. Researchers recommend the use of precise language that prioritizes coherence, consistency, and conceptual clarity.
Lead Speaker
Susie Morrissey, Mercer University
Co-Speaker(s)
OZGUL KARTAL, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Gorjana Popovic, Illinois Institute of Technology
Integrating Custom AI Chatbots in Mathematics Education: Impacts and Implications
This research investigates the integration of customized Large Language Models (LLMs) as chatbots, exploring their applications in professional development, learning tasks, assessment, feedback, and reporting. Drawing on interviews with educators, the study reveals their perspectives, emphasizing both the advantages and challenges associated with these AI tools in educational contexts. The research highlights the chatbots’ effectiveness in generating insightful pedagogical tasks and responses that not only meet rigorous standards but also promote principles of equity and cultural responsiveness. Ultimately, this study provides valuable insights for enhancing pedagogical approaches and fostering more equitable learning environments through custom AI chatbots.
Lead Speaker
Cal Armstrong, Appleby College
Math Acceleration and Principles to Actions: Embracing Challenges and Growing as One
Implementation of high-quality mathematics materials requires establishing structures for coherence and ensuring equitable access for all students. Enhancing instructional capacities in mathematics for teachers and administrators to deepen the level of mathematical understanding is instrumental. This poster session embarks a deep dive into a materials implementation process crafted from the Math Acceleration Project and NCTM's Principles to Actions. One school district's experience will be featured to showcase the application. This mixed methods research portrays multiple data sources bringing to light the interconnectedness between teacher and administrator perspectives regarding mathematics materials and instruction and encompasses observation results spanning a two-period time frame.
Lead Speaker
Tara Gossman, Educational Service Unit 4
Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers Engaging Multilingual Learner Students' Engagement in Mathematics Learning
As the number of Multilingual Learner (ML) students attending public schools rises, so does the demand for those who can teach them. To address the gaps between theory and practice in professional development (PD) programs (Ball, 2000), a PD framework called PrimeD (Professional Development, Research, Implementation, and Evaluation) has been proposed which organizes PD into four phases of Design, Implementation, Evaluation, and Research, and works in a cyclic nature to provide a coherent structure to PD activities. The purpose of my study is to examine the possible benefits of PrimeD on secondary mathematics preservice teachers engaging ML students in mathematics learning.
Lead Speaker
Parastoo Zareie, University of Kentucky
Purpose of School Mathematics for Secondary Mathematics Teachers
NCTM's Catalyzing Change reports challenged educators and leaders to broaden the purposes of school mathematics. They argued that mathematics should help students to 1) expand professional opportunity, 2) understand and critique the world, and 3) experience wonder, joy, and beauty (NCTM, 2018, p. 9). In addition to these potential benefits, critical mathematics education scholars argued that school mathematics serves as a gatekeeper and tool for students' stratification (Ernest, 2018; Louie, 2017; Martin et al., 2010). This study aimed to identify the prevalence of these various purposes of school mathematics among the "frontline" of mathematics education—middle and high school mathematics teachers.
Lead Speaker
Victoria Barron, University of Missouri Columbia
Statley: Students' Perceptions of Statistics
This study investigated the characteristics of participants' engagement with statistics within classroom settings and their personification of statistics as a character. I aimed to categorize participants' statistics classrooms based on levels of active engagement and analyze the personification of statistics as a character to understand participants' relationships with the subject. The study utilized qualitative methodologies, including open coding and concept blending analysis, to extract and interpret students' concept image of Statley.
Lead Speaker
Matthew Duncan, Middle Tennessee State University
Co-Speaker(s)
Brielle Campos, Middle Tennessee State University
Scott McDaniel, Middle Tennessee State University
The Relationship Between the Amount of Time Spent in the Block Center and Gender Differences in Preschool Children’s Spatial Performance
This research poster describes a correlational study to investigate gender differences in block play and spatial skills of preschool children. Results from 75 preschoolers in eight Head Start classrooms found no gender differences in spatial skills, that boys played more than girls in the block center, and that spatial skills and time in the block center were correlated. That time in the block center might impact spatial skills more for girls than for boys.
Lead Speaker
Narges Sareh, East Tennessee State University
Understanding Pre-Service Teachers' Conception of Area and Perimeter on a Math Modeling Task
This study examined the representational skills and math modeling utilized by preservice teachers (PSTs) to complete a real-world math modeling task centered on the concepts of area and perimeter. The research question focused on what models and skills of representation PSTs utilized in solving a math modeling task. The findings from the study indicated that PSTs continue to struggle with concepts centered on area and perimeter using modeling and skills of representation. Therefore, for PSTs to apply area and perimeter concepts creatively, it is necessary to enhance their modeling and representational skills while providing a variety of contexts.
Lead Speaker
Reuben Asempapa, Penn State Harrisburg