Developing Elementary Mathematics Specialists as Informal Teacher Leaders in Urban School Contexts

• In Event: Math Coaching, Teacher Leadership, and Development of Math Teachers

Abstract

This 5-year professional development project aims to prepare and support 26 Elementary Mathematics Specialists (EMSs) who are ambitious and equitable mathematics teachers and teacher leaders in urban-situated schools. Using a descriptive, holistic singular-case research design that involved collection of quantitative and qualitative data, shared here are findings from the first 2 years of the project. The analyses reveal significant, positive changes in the participants’ mathematics coaching effectiveness beliefs, mathematics coaching practices, and mathematical knowledge for teaching. The findings also illuminate the variety of ways participants were providing teacher leadership in their distinctive role of informal teacher leader, with the associated emergent themes of: contextual elements and stakeholders of navigation, strategic moves to affect change, and dual citizenship: opening up opportunities.

Authors

• Susan Swars Auslander, University of Alabama

• Carla Lynn Tanguay, Georgia State University