Supporting Elementary Preservice Teachers to Critically Examine Equity in Rural Appalachia

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Research on Preservice Mathematics Teacher Learning During Teacher Preparation

Abstract

The research reported in this paper sought to investigate the iterative design of learning experiences in an elementary mathematics methods course focused on supporting elementary pre-service teachers (EPSTs) to understand the complexity of equity in mathematics teaching. Drawing on cognitive flexibility theory, researchers designed cases to support EPSTs’ perspectives regarding equitable learning environments. Data from the second iteration of the project indicate that EPSTs’ case reflections were still primarily equating equity with affective dimensions of students’ engagement (e.g., removing embarrassment). A few students started to grasp more complex notions of equity (e.g., considering opportunity gaps, the nature of mathematical tasks, student autonomy). Findings from this study are shared and connected to a third design iteration.

Authors

• Johnna Bolyard, West Virginia University

• Keri Duncan Valentine, West Virginia University

• Sean Patrick Freeland, West Virginia University