Supporting Teacher Candidates' Noticing of Language in Mathematics Classrooms

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Promising Practices for Preparing Culturally and Linguistically Responsive STEM Educators

Abstract

Students’ linguistic development and mathematical development are inherently connected (Purpura & Ganley, 2014). Therefore, it is important for teachers to develop pedagogical skills and knowledge to support students’ linguistic development within the context of mathematics instruction. This qualitative study explored 192 elementary teacher candidates’ developing understandings of the role of language in the mathematics classroom. Using iterative open-coding techniques, it was found that the Language Demands in the Mathematics Classroom tool helped focus teacher candidates’ noticing of how elementary students used language during a mathematics lesson. However, the teacher candidates tended to apply a vocabulary perspective when discussing language in the mathematics classroom over strategies for facilitating active student discourse.

Authors

• Amanda T. Sugimoto, Portland State University

• Kathy J. Carter, The University of Arizona