Changing Beliefs: The Impact of a Constructivist-Based Pedagogy on In-Service Practitioners Teaching and Learning Mathematics

• In Event: Enacting Equity-Based Reform Through Humanizing Pedagogies: Supporting Professional Learning Spaces for STEM and Special Educators

Abstract

Objectives:
Historically speaking, mathematics classrooms are held hostage to the mandatory standardized testing which leads to skill attainment rather than conceptual understanding (Heibert & Grouws, 2007). In response to this trend, this study analyzes teachers shifting mathematical ideologies after their participation in two redesigned math methods courses focused on problem solving and constructivism (Vygotsky, 1987). More specifically, the courses were embedded in a 15-credit microcredential for K-12 inservice teachers focusing on algebraic thinking that embraced computational thinking to cultivate spaces of agency and engaged in humanizing mathematical pedagogy.

Theoretical Framing:
To frame the design of this study, we drew upon a constructivist approach to teaching and learning that focuses active participation in the construction of knowledge (Clemens & Batista, 1990; Vygotsky, 1987). The approach is student-centered and equity-minded as it promotes accessibility of content materials and critical thinking skills through instructional practices rooted in discourse (Vygotsky, 1986). Moreover, a constructivist approach to learning centers on student agency and accessibility of content giving each learner an opportunity to voice burgeoning understanding.

Methods & Data Analysis:
Data collection and analysis was driven by the research question: How can inservice teachers' mathematical ideologies of learning shift across time after participation in mathematics courses that are rooted in constructivist thought and humanizing pedagogies? Participants included 34 teachers enrolled in the 15-credit micro-credential program offered at a local, 4-year urban university. All participants were enrolled in the two redesigned courses that were rooted in constructivist ideologies.

Data collection was focused on two surveys adapted from NCTM’s Principles to Actions (2014). Two closed-ended surveys were focused on teachers’ beliefs (24 questions), as well as teachers' perceived instructional practices (17 questions) on problem solving, equity and assessment in mathematics instruction. An additional 5-question open-ended survey focused on how the two courses impacted teachers’ beliefs and perceived mathematical instructional practices. The pre and post surveys were administered at the onset and end of the study. The open-ended survey was administered at the conclusion of the second course. SPSS was used to analyze the closed-ended survey responses, which informed how codes were created to analyze the open -ended responses (Saldana, 2021).

Key Findings & Significance
Initial findings from the closed-question survey indicate shifts in how teachers co-constructed an equity-based mindset in centering the role that student engagement and honoring students’ diverse learning styles plays in their instructional ideologies. Teachers’ reflective stance embraced constructivist ideologies where teachers valued equitable instruction and learning where one teacher shared, “I started creating meaningful word problems and [ ] to present problems that provide entry levels for all learners,” and a second participate shared, “It has made me more mindful of how I am including student voice into my teaching. I try to implement several opportunities for math discourse within my problem-solving time after learning the value of discourse.” Preliminary results indicate how inservice mathematics educators who engage in rich conversations to explore constructivist-based pedagogy are more inclined to begin to co-construct shifts in their instructional ideologies that embrace humanizing pedagogies.

Authors

• Rabab Abi-Hanna, Lehman College - CUNY

• Celia Cruz, Lehman College - CUNY