Examining the Effects of Mathematics Professional Development in Child Care Settings

• In Event: Cultivating Trust and Collaboration for Sustained Professional Development

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of an ongoing mathematics professional development model on teachers and children in Head Start and Early Head Start settings. 71 teachers and teacher assistants from 47 classrooms participated in ongoing PD and allowed access for data collection. Teacher practices and beliefs related to early childhood mathematics and student understandings of mathematics were analyzed through a mixed methods concurrent design. Findings indicate that participants in treatment sites showed positive shifts in classroom practices and beliefs about teaching mathematics. In addition, children in these settings showed increased mathematical understandings following treatment implementation.

Authors

• Sandra Mammano Linder, Clemson University

• Amber Simpson, Clemson University